Waheed Murad

Biography

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Waheed Murad – 2 October 1938 – 23 November 1983:

Waheed Murad is also known as Chocolate Hero, was a Pakistani film actor, producer and script writer. Famous for his charming expressions, attractive personality, tender voice and unusual talent for acting, Waheed is considered one of the most famous and influential actors of South Asia and has influenced the film industry in the subcontinent.

Born in Sialkot, Pakistan, he graduated from the S.M. Arts College Karachi, and then earned a master’s degree in English literature from University of Karachi. He started his film career in a cameo in 1959 in the film Saathi when he was 21 years old. One of his films, Armaan, which was produced by him, was a great success. Murad is the only actor of film industry to secure the highest number of platinum, diamond, golden and silver jubilees. He mesmerized Pakistani nation during 1960s and 1970s more than anyone before or after and is considered to be evergreen chocolate hero of Pakistan’s silver screen history. He acted in 125 feature films and earned 32 film awards.

In November 2010, 27 years after his death, the Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari posthumously awarded him the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the third highest honour and civilian award by the State of Pakistan, given in the fields of literature, arts, sports, medicine, or science. On 2 October 2019, Google celebrated Murad’s 81st birthday with a doodle on its homepage for Pakistan, India, Nepal and several other countries.

 

Early life:

Murad was an only child. His mother was Shireen Murad, and his father was Nisar Murad, a film distributor. He did graduation from S.M. Arts College, Karachi, and then masters in English literature from University of Karachi. His father was a Punjabi whose family belonged to the cultural elite of Sialkot. The Murads claimed Turkish ancestry; one of their ancestors, Murat, was a soldier of Ottoman-origin serving in the Mughal army who settled in Punjab.

 

Personal Life:

Waheed Murad married Salma, the daughter of a Karachi-based industrialist, on 17 September 1964. They had two daughters, Aaliya and Sadia, and one son, (Adil). Sadia died in infancy.

 

Career:

Waheed Murad started his film career by joining his father’s established ‘Film Art’ in 1961 as producer of the film Insaan badalta hai. In his second film as producer Jab se dakha hai tumhein he cast Darpan with Zeba as heroine. Afterwards, Darpan most of the time started coming late at studio. Zeba suggested Waheed to cast himself as hero in his next film. Waheed was not ready to sign himself in his own movies. But when the same suggestion came from his old good friend Pervaiz Malik, he accepted it on the condition that if Zeba would be his co-star, Zeba accepted in return (according to Zeba). As a result, he firstly appeared in a supporting role in 1962’s Aulad. The film was directed by his friend S.M. Yousuf. Aulad got much more acclaims from critics, and it also got the Nigar award in the best film’s category for the year. Heera aur pathar was his first movie as a leading actor. He got the Nigar award in the best actor category for the same film.

In 1966, he produced and acted in Armaan. The film broke all the box office records at that time and completed 75 weeks in theatres. The film were sung by Ahmed Rushdi. Murad received two Nigar awards for the categories best producer and best actor for the film.

In 1967, he appeared as the leading actor in films like Devar bhabi, Doraha, Insaaniyat and Maan baap. From 1964 to 1968, Murad and Pervaiz Malik made Heera Aur Pathar, Armaan, Ehsaan, Doraha and Jahan tum wahan hum. The combination of Waheed Murad, Pervaiz Malik, Masroor Anwar, Sohail Rana, Ahmed Rushdi and Zeba created a number of films. Waheed Murad brought Malik, Anwar and Rana under the umbrella of ‘Film Arts’. Film Arts broke up and Pervaiz Malik started creating his own projects with new actors. A total of seven films, including two films, i.e., Usey dekha usey chaha and Dushman released after a long gap of 6 years in 1974, were produced with the combination of Waheed and Pervaiz (but not under ‘Film Art’ Production).

In 1969, Waheed produced, wrote and directed the movie Ishaara. It was released in 1969. Other co-stars included Shabnam, Aliya, Talish and Mustafa Qureshi. Murad received a Nigar award in the best actor category for the film.

In his 25-year career, Murad paired with many actresses like Zeba, Shamim Ara, Rani, Naghma, Aaliya, Sangeeta, Kaveeta, Aasia, Shabnam, Deeba, Babra Sharif, Rukhsana, Bahar Begum and Neelo. He acted in a total of 124 films (two were released after his death), of which 38 were black and white and 86 were in colour. He also appeared in six films as a guest star including his first and shortest appearance in 1959’s Saathi. He acted in 115 Urdu films, 8 Punjabi films and 1 Pushto film, and earned 32 film awards including ones for best producer and for best actor.

 

Film Art Productions:

Waheed Murad produced eleven films under his father’s company Film Art. He was the youngest film producer in the Pakistani film industry at that time. Most of his produced films were either Golden Jubilee or Silver Jubilee. During the 1960s and early 1970s, he produced films like Insaan Badalta Hai (1961) (his first film as producer), Armaan (1966), Ehsaan (1967), Naseeb Apna Apna (1970) and Mastana Mahi (Punjabi film of 1971). However, after Mastana Mahi, he produced no film except Hero which was produced in the 1980s and was released after his death.

As a director, he had directed as well as produced Ishaara (1969) with co-star Deeba.

 

Playback Singers:

In Waheed’s career, most of the songs picturised by him were sung by Ahmed Rushdi. He sang more than 200 duet and solo songs for him. Other playback singers who provided voice for him were Mehdi Hassan, Masood Rana, Saleem Raza, Akhlaq Ahmed, Mujeeb Aalam, Asad Amanat Ali Khan, Bashir Ahmad, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan and A Nayyar.

 

Later life:

By the late 1970s, Waheed was being cast in supporting roles either with Nadeem or with Mohammad Ali. Most of the leading heroines like Zeba, Shabnam and Nisho were not allowed to play lead roles with Waheed by their husbands.

Pervaiz Malik wrote in a local newspaper: “Not even once during that time Waheed come to me seeking work in my films. Waheed was becoming depressed. His close friends revealed that he was becoming addicted to alcohol, oral tobacco and sleeping pills. Even his domestic life suffered and his wife Salma left for the United States. A combination of bad habits and stress caused ulceration in Waheed’s stomach in 1981. He suffered from bleeding and had to undergo stomach removal to save his life. His many fans came to the hospital to donate blood to save the life of their favourite hero. Although, he recovered, he lost a significant amount of weight. Even then, Iqbal Akhtar and Iqbal Yousuf, who proved to be real friends in difficult times, cast Waheed Murad in their movies. Waheed appeared old and charmless in Dil ney phir yaad keya and Ghairao. Even his loyal admirers felt that it was all over for him.”

In 1983, Anwar Maqsood, a TV writer and anchor and a close friend, invited Waheed to his TV comedy show Silver Jubilee.

Babra Sharif, revealed that during the filming of a scene of Hero, Waheed lost his balance while walking toward her and fell down. He took several minutes to catch his breath prior to standing up on his feet again.

In July 1983, Waheed was driving his car too fast and struck a tree. He was left with a scar on his face. A few days after the accident, Waheed asked his friend Pervez Malik for a role. Malik said, “Get better and you will be the lead in my next film.” He replied, “You give me the role and I will get better”. He was going to Karachi to get the scar fixed to complete the last few scenes of Hero when he met the chief editor, Ilyas Rasheedi, of the film magazine ‘Nigar’ at the airport. Rasheedi wrote in his magazine:

By chance a famous film producer was also present in the waiting area and Waheed put him on the spot by asking if he had a role for him for Javed Sheikh’s father in his movie. The producer had a difficult time dodging Waheed.

 

Last days and Death:

Waheed’s son Aadil was in Karachi staying with his grandmother. A day before his face surgery, Waheed celebrated his son’s birthday. He bought several gifts for Aadil and wished him a happy year.

He returned late to spend the night at Anita Ayub’s mother Mumtaz Ayub’s home. When Waheed did not wake up until late, the door had to be forced open and Waheed was found lying on the floor, dead for several hours. A paan leaf with an unidentified substance in it was found in his mouth. It is not clear if the cause of death was a heart attack or suicide. Waheed was buried near his father’s grave in Gulberg Graveyard in Lahore.

 

List of Awards:

This is a list of his awards, honours and recognitions.

 

Nigar Awards
  • 1964 – Best Actor for Heera aur Pathar
  • 1966 – Best Producer for Armaan
  • 1969 – Best Actor for Andleeb
  • 1971 – Best Actor for Mastana Mahi
  • 2002 – Legend Award for Lifetime achievement

 

Rooman Awards
  • 1965 – Best Actor for Eid Mubarak
  • 1966 – Best Actor for Armaan
  • 1966 – Best Producer for Armaan
  • 1969 – Best Actor for Andleeb
  • 1974 – Best Actor for Phool Mere Gulshan Ka

 

Graduate Awards
  • 1969 – Best Actor for Andleeb
  • 1971 – Best Actor for Mastana Mahi
  • 1975 – Best Actor for Jab Jab Phool Khile

 

Noor Jahan Awards
  • 1966 – Best Actor for Armaan
  • 1966 – Best Producer for Armaan

 

Mussawir Awards
  • 1975 – Best Actor for Jab Jab Phool Khile
  • 1983 – Life Time Achievement Award

 

Sindh Awami Awards
  • 1975 – Best Actor for Jab Jab Phool Khile
  • 1976 – Best Actor for Shabana

 

PIA Arts Academy Award
  • 1978 – Best Actor for Awaz
  • 1979 – Best Actor for Behen Bhai

 

AlFankar Awards
  • 1978 – Best Actor for Awaz
  • 1980 – Best Actor for Badnaam

 

Shabab Awards / Shabab Memorial Awards
  • 1967 – Best Actor for Insaniyat
  • 1985 – Best Supporting Actor for Anokha Daj

 

Other Awards
  • 1969 – Chitrali Award: Best Actor for Andleeb
  • 1969 – Khalil Qaiser Award: Best Actor for Andleeb
  • 1969 – Curtex Award: Best Actor for Andleeb
  • 1975 – Aghaz Award: Best Actor for Jab Jab Phool Khile
  • 1978 – Chaministan International Award for Public Popularity Competition: Most Popular Film Star
  • 1979 – National Award: Best Actor for Behen Bhai
  • 1981 – Riaz Shahid Award: Best Actor for Gherao
  • 1982 – National Academy Award: Best Supporting Actor for Ahat
  • 2011 – Sitara-e-Imtiaz: Lifetime achievement award
  • 2016 – ARY Film Awards: Legend award

Umer Shareef

Biography

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Mohammad Umer – April 19, 1955 :

Muhammad Umer is known professionally as Umer Shareef, is a Pakistani actor, comedian, director, producer and television personality. He is regarded as one of the greatest comedians in the sub-continent.

Early life:

Mohammad Umer was born on April 19, 1955, in an Urdu speaking family in Liaquatabad, Karachi.

Career:

Stage work

In 1974, Umer started his career from Karachi as a stage performer at the age of 14. He joined theatre, using the stage name Umer Zarif but later renamed that to Umer Sharif. Some of his extremely popular comedy stage plays were 1989’sBakra Qistoon Pe and Buddha Ghar Pe Hai.

Sharif became a very popular star during this period. Much of the success came from the fact that he started to record his stage shows and his videotapes were rented out in a similar manner to movies. Yes Sir Eid and No Sir Eid were among the first stage plays to come out on video.

Television:

In October 2009, Sharif started hosting his own late-night talk show, The Shareef Show, on Geo TV. He interviewed many actors, entertainers, musicians, and politicians on the show. He also appeared as a guest judge on the Indian stand-up comedy show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, alongside Navjot Singh Siddhu and Shekhar Suman.

Humanitarian work:

In 2006, the Umer Sharif Welfare Trust was formed with the stated goal of creating a “state of the art health center that provides services free of cost.”

Awards:

Sharif has received National awards for Best Director and Best Actor in 1992 for Mr. 420. He has received ten Nigar Awards. Sharif is the only actor to receive four Nigar Awards in a single year. He received three Graduate Awards. Sharif is also a recipient of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz.

Legacy:

Referred to as the “King of Comedy”, Sharif is considered as one of the greatest comedians of Indian subcontinent. Popular Indian comedians like Johnny Lever and Raju Srivastav hailed him as “The God Of Asian Comedy”.

Controversies:

For the 50-year anniversary of Pakistan’s independence, Sharif performed a play called Umer Sharif Haazir Ho. In the play, a representative from every occupation was called into court and asked what they had done for Pakistan in the past 50 years. The Lawyer’s Association stated a case against Sharif as a result.

Stage dramas:
  • Bakra Qiston Pay Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (1989)
  • Dulhan Main Lekar Jaonga
  • Salam Karachi
  • Andaz Apna Apna
  • Meri Bhi To Eid Karade
  • Nayee Aami Purana Abba
  • Yeh Hay Naya Tamasha
  • Yeh Hay Naya Zamana
  • Yes Sir Eid No Sir Eid
  • Eid Tere Naam
  • Samad Bond 007
  • Nach Meri Bulbul
  • Lahore se London
  • Angoor Khatay Hain
  • Petrol Pump
  • Lotay te Lafafey
  • Loot Sale
  • Half Plate
  • Meri Jaan Thanedaar
  • Umar Sharif in Jungle
  • Beauty Parlour
  • Makeup Room
  • Chaudhary Plaza
  • Mamu Mazak Mat Karo
  • Hum Se Milo
  • Yeh To House Full Hogaya
  • Bakra Munna Bhai
  • Behrupia
  • Lal Qile ki Rai Lalu Khet ka Raja
  • Chand Baraye Farokhat
  • Hanste Raho Chalte Raho
  • Umar Sharif Hazir Ho
  • Baby Samjha Karo
  • Doctor aur Kasai
  • Budha Ghar Pe Hai
  • Eid Aashiqon Ki
  • Nehle pe Dehla
  • One Day Eid Match
  • Police Ho To Aisi
  • Paying Guest
  • Aao Sach Bolain
  • Flight 420
  • Coolie 420
  • Hamsa Ho To Samn Aaye
  • Walima Taiyar Hai
  • Filmi Pariyan
  • Akbar e Azam in Pakistan
  • Jeet Teri Peda Mera
  • Shadi Magar Aadhi
  • Bebia
  • Mano Meri Baat
  • Gol Maal
  • Female Ki Email
  • Eidy Chupa ke Rakhna
  • Dulha (2002)
Filmography:
Film
Year  Title
1986   Hisab   
1987  Kundan   
1992    Mr. 420   
1994   Khandan   
1994   Laat Sahb
Reality shows:
Year  Show  Role Channel
2009  The Shareef Show Host Geo TV 

Shahbaz Ahmed

Biography

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Shahbaz Ahmad – 01 September, 1968:

Shahbaz Ahmad is a former field hockey player from Pakistan who is also known by his nickname as “Shahbaz Ahmed Senior“. He was born in to Arain family.

 

Career:

He is considered to be among the best forwards in the history of field hockey. He joined the Pakistan National Hockey Team in 1986, and was captain of the national side, that led his team to the 1994 Men’s Hockey World Cup victory. “He played a major role in Pakistan victories in 1994 World Cup in Sydney, Australia and Champions Trophy 1994 in Lahore, Pakistan.” After the Atlanta Games in 1996, he played for Dutch club Oranje Zwart and for German club Harvestehuder THC from Hamburg for a couple of years.

Called the Maradona of Hockey he has represented Pakistan in the Champions Trophy tournaments held in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989; 3rd Asia Cup, New Delhi 1989; 7th Hockey World Cup, 1990 in Lahore, BMW Trophy Amsterdam, 1990, 11th Asian Games Beijing, 1990, 12th Champions Trophy, Melbourne and Hockey World Cup, Sydney, 1994. He made his world-famous run down against Australia in the same tournament. ” But in 1994, at the Sydney World Cup, in the pool match between Australia and Pakistan, Australia had a similar free hit just outside the Pakistan circle which was intercepted and moved onto Pakistan’s Shahbaz who then executed his famous run with Australia’s Ken Wark chasing him. Shahbaz drew a covering defender and reverse-sticked the ball to Kamran Ashraf, who scored.” “Twenty years have passed, but the memories of his breathtaking runs against Australia, Germany and the Netherlands are etched in memories of millions.”

He played at three Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal in 1992.

Shahbaz Ahmad was declared the best player in the Seventh World Cup, Lahore, 1990, and received the BMW Trophy, Amsterdam, 1990. He has won gold medals in the 3rd Asia Cup, New Delhi, 1989; Gold Medal Asian Games, Beijing, 1990; Gold Medal 1994 Champions Trophy Lahore, Gold Medal 1994 World Cup, Sydney, silver medal in Champions Trophy, 1988; 7th world cup, Lahore, 1990; BMW Trophy, Amsterdam, 1990; and a bronze medal in 8th Champions Trophy, 1986. He was awarded the best player award in 1994 world cup Sydney as well. He played in 1998 and 2002 Men’s hockey world cup not as a captain instead as a player.

Greatest Sporting Achievements:

Shahbaz Ahmed Sr. was The Maradona of Hockey. He represented his country and won the 1994 World Cup and 1994 Champions Trophy. He was also the 1990 and 9194 World Cup Player of the Tournament. His Olympic best is the 1992 bronze medal which was held in Barcelona. Some of his awards include gold medals in the 3rd Asia Cup, silver medals in Champions Trophy and BMW Trophy. Ahmad Sr. was also awarded the President’s Pride of Performance in 1992 by the Government of Pakistan.

Why Was He So Good?

Shahbaz Ahmed Sr. displayed his trademark dribbling skills, body dodges, cross field runs, ball control and stick work in the field and the world was amazed by his flawless talents. He is regarded as one of the best forwards of hockey. He is a player with God-gifted skills and he worked just as hard as anyone.

What You May Not Know:

He is the only person in history of field hockey to win two consecutive players of the tournament awards during the 1990 World Cup in Lahore and 1994 World Cup in Sydney.

Shahbaz is currently a country manager of PIA in Jeddah-Saudi Arabia.

Awards and Recognition:

Shahbaz Ahmad is regarded as one of the best forwards in the game for his agility, body dodge and ball control. He is the only player in the history of Field Hockey to win two consecutive ‘Player of the Tournament’ awards in the 1990 World Cup in Lahore, and at the 1994 World Cup in Sydney. He leads the list of most-capped Pakistanis with 304 caps (a total of 304 games) in international field hockey.

  • Hilal-i-Pakistan (Crescent of Pakistan) Award by the President of Pakistan.
  • In recognition of his outstanding contribution in the field of hockey, he was awarded the President’s Pride of Performance Award in 1992 by the Government of Pakistan.
  • In 2002, Shahbaz Ahmed retired from playing the game of field hockey for good. In 2010, Shahbaz is performing his services as the district manager of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in Saudi Arabia.
  • In 2015, he was appointed Secretary General of Pakistan Hockey Federation.

Rashid Minhas

Biography

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Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas –17 February 1951 – 20 August 1971:

Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas was a pilot in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Minhas was the only PAF officer to receive the highest valour award, the Nishan-e-Haider. He was also the youngest person and the shortest-serving officer to have received this award. During the routine training mission in August 1971, P/Off. Minhas attempted to gain control of his jet trainer when his superior officer Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman was trying to defect to India to join Liberation war of Bangladesh and deliberately commandeer his plane that crashed near the Thatta District, Sindh in Pakistan.

 

Biography:
Born    17 February 1951 Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Died   20 August 1971 (aged 20) Thatta District, Sindh    
Buried  Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan   
Allegiance    Pakistan   
Service/branch   Pakistan Air Force   
Years of service   13 March 1971 – 20 August 1971
Rank   Pak-air-force-OF-1a.svg Pilot Officer   
Service number  PAK-5602   
Unit      PAFlogocolor.png No. 2 Squadron Minhas   
Battles/wars   Bangladesh Liberation War †   
Awards   Nishan Haider Ribbon.gif Nishan-e-Haider

 

Rashid Minhas was born on 17 February 1951, at Karachi to a Muslim Rajput family of the Minhas clan. Rashid Minhas spent his early childhood in Karachi. Later, the family shifted to Rawalpindi. Minhas had his early education from St Mary’s Cambridge School Rawalpindi. Later his family shifted back to Karachi. Minhas was fascinated with aviation history and technology. He used to collect different models of aircraft and jets. He also attended St Patrick’s High School, Karachi.

The ancestor of Rashid Minhas was born in Qila Sobha Singh and later on they moved to Karachi and Rashid Minhas was born in Karachi. His father, Majeed Minhas, a civil engineer and an alumnus of the NED University in Karachi, was in a construction management business who later moved to Lahore, Punjab, for the construction project. He was educated in Lahore and taking admission in British-managed St. Mary’s School in Rawalpindi when his father found an employment opportunity but later permanently settled in Karachi.

He passed and qualified for his Senior Cambridge examination and performed well while finishing the O-level and A-level qualifications from the St. Patrick’s High School in Karachi. His father, Majeed Minhas, wanted his son, Rashid, to follow his step by attending the engineering university and strongly desired for his son to gain a degree in engineering after finishing his high schooling in Karachi. Against the wishes of his father, Rashid entered in the PAF School in Lower Topa in 1968, the Air Force’s officer candidate school, and forwarded towards completing his military training at the Pakistan Air Force Academy in 1969.

 

Shahadat:

Having joined the air force, Minhas was commissioned on 13 March 1971, in the 51st GD(P) Course. He began training to become a pilot. On 20 August of that year, in the hour before noon, he was getting ready to take off in a T-33 jet trainer in Karachi, Pakistan. His second solo flight in that type of aircraft. Minhas was taxiing toward the runway when a Bengali instructor pilot, Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman, signalled him to stop and then climbed into the instructor’s seat. The jet took off and turned toward India.

Minhas radioed PAF Base Masroor with the message that he was being hijacked. The air controller requested that he resend his message, and he confirmed the hijacking. Later investigation showed that Rahman intended to defect to India to join his compatriots in the Bangladesh Liberation War, along with the jet trainer. In the air, Minhas struggled physically to wrest control from Rahman; each man tried to overpower the other through the mechanically linked flight controls. Some 32 miles (51 km) from the Indian border, the jet crashed near Thatta. Both men were killed.

Minhas was posthumously awarded Pakistan’s top military honour, the Nishan-E-Haider, and became the youngest man and the only member of the Pakistan Air Force to win the award. Similarly, Rahman was honoured by Bangladesh with their highest military award, the Bir Sreshtho.

Minhas’s Pakistan military citation for the Nishan-E-Haider states that he “forced the aircraft to crash” in order to prevent Rahman from taking the jet to India. This is the official, popular and widely known version of how Minhas died. Yawar A. Mazhar, a writer for Pakistan Military Consortium, relayed in 2004 that he spoke to retired PAF Group Captain Cecil Chaudhry about Minhas, and that he learned more details not generally known to the public. According to Mazhar, Chaudhry led the immediate task of investigating the wreckage and writing the accident report. Chaudhry told Mazhar that he found the jet had hit the ground nose first, instantly killing Minhas in the front seat. Rahman’s body, however, was not in the jet and the canopy was missing. Chaudhry searched the area and saw Rahman’s body some distance behind the jet, the body found with severe abrasions from hitting the sand at a low angle and a high speed. Chaudhry thought that Minhas probably jettisoned the canopy at low altitude causing Rahman to be thrown from the cockpit because he was not strapped in. Chaudhry felt that the jet was too close to the ground at that time, too far out of control for Minhas to be able to prevent the crash.

 

Legacy:

After his death, Minhas was honoured as a national hero. In his memory the Pakistan Air Force base at Kamra was renamed PAF Base Minhas, often called Minhas-Kamra. In Karachi he was honoured by the naming of a main road, ‘Rashid Minhas Road’. A two-rupee postage stamp bearing his image was issued by Pakistan Post in December 2003; 500,000 were printed.

 

Awards and Decorations:
  • Nishan-e-Haider (NH)

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Bioraphy

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Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (RFAK) – 9 December 1974

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is a Pakistani musician, primarily of Qawwali, a devotional music of the Muslim Sufis. Khan is one of the biggest and highest paid singers in Pakistan. He is the nephew of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, son of Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan and also grandson of Qawwali singer Fateh Ali Khan. In addition to Qawwali, he also performs ghazals and other light music. He is also popular as a playback singer in Bollywood and the Pakistan film industry.

Early life:

Rahat was born into a Punjabi family of Qawwals and classical singers in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. He is the son of Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan, grandson of Fateh Ali Khan and the nephew of legendary Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Rahat displayed an adoration for music from a very young age and was often found to be singing with his uncle and father, as young as three. From an age of seven, he was already being trained by his uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in the art of singing Qawwali.

Career:

Rahat performed publicly for the first time, when he was nine, at the death anniversary of his grandfather. Since he was fifteen, he was an integral part of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s well-known qawwali group and toured the UK with his uncle in 1985. He also performed solo songs at different concerts, in addition to fulfilling his roles in the Quawalli group.

He debuted as a playback singer in Bollywood with the movie Paap (2003), in the song “Mann Ki Lagan”.

In April 2012 Rahat toured in the UK, performing at Wembley Arena and the Manchester Arena, playing to a combined audience of over 20,000 people and creating a record of maximum ticket-sales.

The song “Zaroori Tha” from the album Back 2 Love (2014) became the first original non-film music video from the Indian subcontinent to cross 100 million views on youtube after two years, and 200 million views within three years of its release. Eventually it reached to 1 Billion views. He is also touring with Leo Twins from Nescafé Basement on a regular basis.

Soundtracks and Collaboration:

In a subordinate role with his uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, working in collaboration with Eddie Vedder, of the American rock band, Pearl Jam, Rahat contributed to the soundtrack of the 1995 Hollywood film, Dead Man Walking. In 2002, he worked on the soundtrack of The Four Feathers in collaboration with the American composer of orchestral and film music, James Horner. In 2002, Rahat guested with The Derek Trucks Band on the song “Maki Madni” for Trucks’ album, Joyful Noise. In 2006, his vocals were featured on the soundtrack of Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto.

Television:

He judged the show, Chhote Ustaad alongside Sonu Nigam. He was also one of the judges on the singing reality show Junoon, premiered on NDTV Imagine in 2008.

Nobel Peace Prize Concert:

Rahat became the first Pakistani to perform at any Nobel Prize concert, when he was invited to the concert at 2014 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. He performed Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s most memorable qawwali “Tumhe Dillagi” and “Mast Qalandar”, and he also sang “Aao Parhao” there.

Controversy:

In 2018, the daughter of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan said she intended to take legal action against copyright infringement of singers who sing her father’s songs. To this Rahat responded saying he was the adopted successor of Nusrat and doesn’t need anyone’s permission to sing his songs. In January 2019, Khan was accused of smuggling foreign currency and summoned by the Enforcement Directorate of Government of India.

Musical Shows:

Coke Studio

Rahat has appeared in four seasons of the Pakistani musical show Coke Studio.

He first appeared in season 1, where he collaborated with singer Ali Azmat for the track “Garaj Baras”. He then collaborated with Abida Parveen in season 6 for “Chhaap Tilak Sab Chheeni”.

In season 9, he sang “Afreen Afreen” along with Momina Mustehsan which has garnered more than 300 million views on YouTube, becoming the first Pakistani song to cross that mark. He collaborated with Amjad Sabri for “Aaj Rang Hai”, which was the final performance of the latter, prior to his assassination on 22 June 2016.

He appeared in Coke Studio Pakistan (season 10) where he performed “Sayonee” with Ali Noor and a solo number called Rangreza.

MTV Unplugged

Rahat had appeared in MTV Unplugged (India) in 2016

Awards:

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is a Pakistani Sufi singer and musician, primarily of Qawwali, devotional music of the Muslim Sufis. He has won awards including Lux Style Awards, UK Asian Music Awards, ARY Film Awards, and Hum Awards. On June 26, 2019, Rahat was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music by the University of Oxford. He also won the Wembley Arena Award in 2019. Rahat has won four Lux Style Awards and four UK Asian Music Awards. He also has been nominated four times for Filmfare Awards, four times for IIFA Awards, and four times for Mirchi Music Awards. Rahat received a Lifetime Achievement Award from, and honorary membership in, the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi.

  • Lux Style Awards: 04
  • ARY Film Awards: 02
  • Hum Awards: 02
  • Pakistan Media Awards: 02
  • UK Asian Music Awards: 04
  • Filmfare Awards: 01
  • IIFA Awards: 01
  • Star Screen Awards: 02
  • Producers Guild Film Awards: 01
  • Mirchi Music Awards: 03
  • Pakistan Prestige Awards: 01
  • PTC Punjabi Film Awards: 01
  • London Asian Film Festival: 01
  • BIG Star Entert. Awards: 01
  • The Musik Awards: 01
  • Masala Lifestyle Popular Choice Awards: 01

Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Biography

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Muhammad Ali Jinnah: 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948

Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a barrister, politician and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pakistan on 14 August 1947, and then as the Dominion of Pakistan’s first Governor-General until his death. He is revered in Pakistan as the Quaid-i-Azam (“Great Leader”) and Baba-i-Qaum (“Father of the Nation”). His birthday is observed as a national holiday in Pakistan.

Born at Wazir Mansion in Karachi, Jinnah was trained as a barrister at Lincoln’s Inn in London, England. Upon his return to British India, he enrolled at the Bombay High Court, and took an interest in national politics, which eventually replaced his legal practice. Jinnah rose to prominence in the Indian National Congress in the first two decades of the 20th century. In these early years of his political career, Jinnah advocated Hindu–Muslim unity, helping to shape the 1916 Lucknow Pact between the Congress and the All-India Muslim League, in which Jinnah had also become prominent. Jinnah became a key leader in the All-India Home Rule League, and proposed a fourteen-point constitutional reform plan to safeguard the political rights of Muslims in the Indian subcontinent. In 1920, however, Jinnah resigned from the Congress when it agreed to follow a campaign of satyagraha, which he regarded as political anarchy.

By 1940, Jinnah had come to believe that the Muslims of the subcontinent should have their own state to avoid the possible marginalised status they may gain in an independent Hindu–Muslim state. In that year, the Muslim League, led by Jinnah, passed the Lahore Resolution, demanding a separate nation for British Indian Muslims. During the Second World War, the League gained strength while leaders of the Congress were imprisoned, and in the provincial elections held shortly after the war, it won most of the seats reserved for Muslims. Ultimately, the Congress and the Muslim League could not reach a power-sharing formula that would allow the entirety of British India to be united as a single state following independence, leading all parties to agree instead to the independence of a predominantly Hindu India, and for a Muslim-majority state of Pakistan.

As the first Governor-General of Pakistan, Jinnah worked to establish the new nation’s government and policies, and to aid the millions of Muslim migrants who had emigrated from neighbouring India to Pakistan after the two states’ independence, personally supervising the establishment of refugee camps. Jinnah died at age 71 in September 1948, just over a year after Pakistan gained independence from the United Kingdom. He left a deep and respected legacy in Pakistan. Innumerable streets, roads and localities in the world are named after Jinnah. Several universities and public buildings in Pakistan bear Jinnah’s name. According to his biographer, Stanley Wolpert, Jinnah remains Pakistan’s greatest leader.

 

Early Years:

Family and Childhood:

Jinnah’s given name at birth was Mahomedali Jinnahbhai, and he likely was born in 1876, to Jinnahbhai Poonja and his wife Mithibai, in a rented apartment on the second floor of Wazir Mansion near Karachi, now in Sindh, Pakistan but then within the Bombay Presidency of British India. Jinnah’s family was from a Gujarati Khoja Shi’a Muslim background, though Jinnah later followed the Twelver Shi’a teachings. After his death, his relatives and other witnesses claimed that he had converted in later life to the Sunni sect of Islam. His sectarian affiliation at the time of his death was disputed in multiple court cases. Jinnah was from a wealthy merchant background, his father was a merchant and was born to a family of textile weavers in the village of Paneli in the princely state of Gondal (Kathiawar, Gujarat); his mother was also of that village. They had moved to Karachi in 1875, having married before their departure. Karachi was then enjoying an economic boom: the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 meant it was 200 nautical miles closer to Europe for shipping than Bombay. Jinnah was the second child; he had three brothers and three sisters, including his younger sister Fatima Jinnah. The parents were native Gujarati speakers, and the children also came to speak Kutchi and English. Jinnah was not fluent in Gujarati, his mother-tongue, nor in Urdu; he was more fluent in English. Except for Fatima, little is known of his siblings, where they settled or if they met with their brother as he advanced in his legal and political careers.

As a boy, Jinnah lived for a time in Bombay with an aunt and may have attended the Gokal Das Tej Primary School there, later on studying at the Cathedral and John Connon School. In Karachi, he attended the Sindh-Madrasa-tul-Islam and the Christian Missionary Society High School. He gained his matriculation from Bombay University at the high school. In his later years and especially after his death, a large number of stories about the boyhood of Pakistan’s founder were circulated: that he spent all his spare time at the police court, listening to the proceedings, and that he studied his books by the glow of street lights for lack of other illumination. His official biographer, Hector Bolitho, writing in 1954, interviewed surviving boyhood associates, and obtained a tale that the young Jinnah discouraged other children from playing marbles in the dust, urging them to rise up, keep their hands and clothes clean, and play cricket instead.

 

Education in England:

In 1892, Sir Frederick Leigh Croft, a business associate of Jinnahbhai Poonja, offered young Jinnah a London apprenticeship with his firm, Graham’s Shipping and Trading Company. He accepted the position despite the opposition of his mother, who before he left, had him enter an arranged marriage with his cousin, two years his junior from the ancestral village of Paneli, Emibai Jinnah. Jinnah’s mother and first wife both died during his absence in England. Although the apprenticeship in London was considered a great opportunity for Jinnah, one reason for sending him overseas was a legal proceeding against his father, which placed the family’s property at risk of being sequestered by the court. In 1893, the Jinnahbhai family moved to Bombay.

Soon after his arrival in London, Jinnah gave up the business apprenticeship in order to study law, enraging his father, who had, before his departure, given him enough money to live for three years. The aspiring barrister joined Lincoln’s Inn, later stating that the reason he chose Lincoln’s over the other Inns of Court was that over the main entrance to Lincoln’s Inn were the names of the world’s great lawgivers, including Muhammad. Jinnah’s biographer Stanley Wolpert notes that there is no such inscription, but inside (covering the wall at one end of New Hall, also called the Great Hall, which is where students, Bar and Bench lunch and dine) is a mural showing Muhammad and other lawgivers, and speculates that Jinnah may have edited the story in his own mind to avoid mentioning a pictorial depiction which would be offensive to many Muslims. Jinnah’s legal education followed the pupillage (legal apprenticeship) system, which had been in force there for centuries. To gain knowledge of the law, he followed an established barrister and learned from what he did, as well as from studying lawbooks. During this period, he shortened his name to Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

During his student years in England, Jinnah was influenced by 19th-century British liberalism, like many other future Indian independence leaders. His main intellectual references were peoples like Bentham, Mill, Spencer, and Comte. This political education included exposure to the idea of the democratic nation, and progressive politics. He became an admirer of the Parsi British Indian political leaders Dadabhai Naoroji and Sir Pherozeshah Mehta. Naoroji had become the first British Member of Parliament of Indian extraction shortly before Jinnah’s arrival, triumphing with a majority of three votes in Finsbury Central. Jinnah listened to Naoroji’s maiden speech in the House of Commons from the visitor’s gallery.

The Western world not only inspired Jinnah in his political life, but also greatly influenced his personal preferences, particularly when it came to dress. Jinnah abandoned local garb for Western-style clothing, and throughout his life he was always impeccably dressed in public. His suits were designed by Savile Row tailor Henry Poole & Co. He came to own over 200 suits, which he wore with heavily starched shirts with detachable collars, and as a barrister took pride in never wearing the same silk tie twice. Even when he was dying, he insisted on being formally dressed, “I will not travel in my pyjamas.” In his later years he was usually seen wearing a Karakul hat which subsequently came to be known as the “Jinnah cap”.

Dissatisfied with the law, Jinnah briefly embarked on a stage career with a Shakespearean company, but resigned after receiving a stern letter from his father. In 1895, at age 19, he became the youngest British Indian to be called to the bar in England. Although he returned to Karachi, he remained there only a short time before moving to Bombay.

 

Legal and Early Political Career:

Barrister:

At the age of 20, Jinnah began his practice in Bombay, the only Muslim barrister in the city. English had become his principal language and would remain so throughout his life. His first three years in the law, from 1897 to 1900, brought him few briefs. His first step towards a brighter career occurred when the acting Advocate General of Bombay, John Molesworth MacPherson, invited Jinnah to work from his chambers. In 1900, P. H. Dastoor, a Bombay presidency magistrate, left the post temporarily and Jinnah succeeded in getting the interim position. After his six-month appointment period, Jinnah was offered a permanent position on a 1,500 rupee per month salary. Jinnah politely declined the offer, stating that he planned to earn 1,500 rupees a day—a huge sum at that time—which he eventually did. Nevertheless, as Governor-General of Pakistan, he would refuse to accept a large salary, fixing it at 1 rupee per month.

As a lawyer, Jinnah gained fame for his skilled handling of the 1908 “Caucus Case”. This controversy arose out of Bombay municipal elections, which Indians alleged were rigged by a “caucus” of Europeans to keep Sir Pherozeshah Mehta out of the council. Jinnah gained great esteem from leading the case for Sir Pherozeshah, himself a noted barrister. Although Jinnah did not win the Caucus Case, he posted a successful record, becoming well known for his advocacy and legal logic. In 1908, his factional foe in the Indian National Congress, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, was arrested for sedition. Before Tilak unsuccessfully represented himself at trial, he engaged Jinnah in an attempt to secure his release on bail. Jinnah did not succeed, but obtained an acquittal for Tilak when he was charged with sedition again in 1916.

One of Jinnah’s fellow barristers from the Bombay High Court remembered that “Jinnah’s faith in himself was incredible”; he recalled that on being admonished by a judge with “Mr. Jinnah, remember that you are not addressing a third-class magistrate”, Jinnah shot back, “My Lord, allow me to warn you that you are not addressing a third-class pleader.” Another of his fellow barristers described him, saying:

He was what God made him, a great pleader. He had a sixth sense: he could see around corners. That is where his talents lay … he was a very clear thinker … But he drove his points home—points chosen with exquisite selection—slow delivery, word by word.

 

Trade Unionist:

Jinnah was also a supporter of working class causes and an active trade unionist. He was elected President of All India Postal Staff Union in 1925 whose membership was 70,000. According to All Pakistan Labour Federation’s publication Productive Role of Trade Unions and Industrial Relations, being a member of Legislative Assembly, Jinnah pleaded forcefully for rights of workers and struggled for getting a “living wage and fair conditions” for them. He also played an important role in enactment of Trade Union act of 1926 which gave trade union movement legal cover to organise themselves.

 

Rising Leader:

In 1857, many Indians had risen in revolt against British rule. In the aftermath of the conflict, some Anglo-Indians, as well as Indians in Britain, called for greater self-government for the subcontinent, resulting in the founding of the Indian National Congress in 1885. Most founding members had been educated in Britain, and were content with the minimal reform efforts being made by the government. Muslims were not enthusiastic about calls for democratic institutions in British India, as they constituted a quarter to a third of the population, outnumbered by the Hindus. Early meetings of the Congress contained a minority of Muslims, mostly from the elite.

Jinnah devoted much of his time to his law practice in the early 1900s, but remained politically involved. Jinnah began political life by attending the Congress’s twentieth annual meeting, in Bombay in December 1904.  He was a member of the moderate group in the Congress, favouring Hindu–Muslim unity in achieving self-government, and following such leaders as Mehta, Naoroji, and Gopal Krishna Gokhale. They were opposed by leaders such as Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai, who sought quick action towards independence.  In 1906, a delegation of Muslim leaders, known as the Simla Delegation, headed by the Aga Khan called on the new Viceroy of India, Lord Minto, to assure him of their loyalty and to ask for assurances that in any political reforms they would be protected from the “unsympathetic [Hindu] majority”. Dissatisfied with this, Jinnah wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper Gujarati, asking what right the members of the delegation had to speak for Indian Muslims, as they were unelected and self-appointed. When many of the same leaders met in Dacca in December of that year to form the All-India Muslim League to advocate for their community’s interests, Jinnah was again opposed. The Aga Khan later wrote that it was “freakishly ironic” that Jinnah, who would lead the League to independence, “came out in bitter hostility toward all that I and my friends had done … He said that our principle of separate electorates was dividing the nation against itself.” In its earliest years, however, the League was not influential; Minto refused to consider it as the Muslim community’s representative, and it was ineffective in preventing the 1911 repeal of the partition of Bengal, an action seen as a blow to Muslim interests.

Although Jinnah initially opposed separate electorates for Muslims, he used this means to gain his first elective office in 1909, as Bombay’s Muslim representative on the Imperial Legislative Council. He was a compromise candidate when two older, better-known Muslims who were seeking the post deadlocked. The council, which had been expanded to 60 members as part of reforms enacted by Minto, recommended legislation to the Viceroy. Only officials could vote in the council; non-official members, such as Jinnah, had no vote. Throughout his legal career, Jinnah practised probate law (with many clients from India’s nobility), and in 1911 introduced the Wakf Validation Act to place Muslim religious trusts on a sound legal footing under British Indian law. Two years later, the measure passed, the first act sponsored by non-officials to pass the council and be enacted by the Viceroy. Jinnah was also appointed to a committee which helped to establish the Indian Military Academy in Dehra Dun.

In December 1912, Jinnah addressed the annual meeting of the Muslim League although he was not yet a member. He joined the following year, although he remained a member of the Congress as well and stressed that League membership took second priority to the “greater national cause” of an independent India. In April 1913, he again went to Britain, with Gokhale, to meet with officials on behalf of the Congress. Gokhale, a Hindu, later stated that Jinnah “has true stuff in him, and that freedom from all sectarian prejudice which will make him the best ambassador of Hindu–Muslim Unity”. Jinnah led another delegation of the Congress to London in 1914, but due to the start of the First World War found officials little interested in Indian reforms. By coincidence, he was in Britain at the same time as a man who would become a great political rival of his, Mohandas Gandhi, a Hindu lawyer who had become well known for advocating satyagraha, non-violent non-co-operation, while in South Africa. Jinnah attended a reception for Gandhi, and returned home to India in January 1915.

 

Farewell to Congress:

Jinnah’s moderate faction in the Congress was undermined by the deaths of Mehta and Gokhale in 1915; he was further isolated by the fact that Naoroji was in London, where he remained until his death in 1917. Nevertheless, Jinnah worked to bring the Congress and League together. In 1916, with Jinnah now president of the Muslim League, the two organisations signed the Lucknow Pact, setting quotas for Muslim and Hindu representation in the various provinces. Although the pact was never fully implemented, its signing ushered in a period of co-operation between the Congress and the League.

During the war, Jinnah joined other Indian moderates in supporting the British war effort, hoping that Indians would be rewarded with political freedoms. Jinnah played an important role in the founding of the All India Home Rule League in 1916. Along with political leaders Annie Besant and Tilak, Jinnah demanded “home rule” for India—the status of a self-governing dominion in the Empire similar to Canada, New Zealand and Australia, although, with the war, Britain’s politicians were not interested in considering Indian constitutional reform. British Cabinet minister Edwin Montagu recalled Jinnah in his memoirs, “young, perfectly mannered, impressive-looking, armed to the teeth with dialectics, and insistent on the whole of his scheme”.

In 1918, Jinnah married his second wife Rattanbai Petit (“Ruttie”), 24 years his junior. She was the fashionable young daughter of his friend Sir Dinshaw Petit, and was part of an elite Parsi family of Bombay. There was great opposition to the marriage from Rattanbai’s family and the Parsi community, as well as from some Muslim religious leaders. Rattanbai defied her family and nominally converted to Islam, adopting (though never using) the name Maryam Jinnah, resulting in a permanent estrangement from her family and Parsi society. The couple resided at South Court Mansion in Bombay, and frequently travelled across India and Europe. The couple’s only child, daughter Dina, was born on 15 August 1919. The couple separated prior to Ruttie’s death in 1929, and subsequently Jinnah’s sister Fatima looked after him and his child.

Relations between Indians and British were strained in 1919 when the Imperial Legislative Council extended emergency wartime restrictions on civil liberties; Jinnah resigned from it when it did. There was unrest across India, which worsened after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, in which British troops fired upon a protest meeting, killing hundreds. In the wake of Amritsar, Gandhi, who had returned to India and become a widely respected leader and highly influential in the Congress, called for satyagraha against the British. Gandhi’s proposal gained broad Hindu support, and was also attractive to many Muslims of the Khilafat faction. These Muslims, supported by Gandhi, sought retention of the Ottoman caliphate, which supplied spiritual leadership to many Muslims. The caliph was the Ottoman Emperor, who would be deprived of both offices following his nation’s defeat in the First World War. Gandhi had achieved considerable popularity among Muslims because of his work during the war on behalf of killed or imprisoned Muslims. Unlike Jinnah and other leaders of the Congress, Gandhi did not wear western-style clothing, did his best to use an Indian language instead of English, and was deeply rooted in Indian culture. Gandhi’s local style of leadership gained great popularity with the Indian people. Jinnah criticised Gandhi’s Khilafat advocacy, which he saw as an endorsement of religious zealotry. Jinnah regarded Gandhi’s proposed satyagraha campaign as political anarchy, and believed that self-government should be secured through constitutional means. He opposed Gandhi, but the tide of Indian opinion was against him. At the 1920 session of the Congress in Nagpur, Jinnah was shouted down by the delegates, who passed Gandhi’s proposal, pledging satyagraha until India was independent. Jinnah did not attend the subsequent League meeting, held in the same city, which passed a similar resolution. Because of the action of the Congress in endorsing Gandhi’s campaign, Jinnah resigned from it, leaving all positions except in the Muslim League.

 

Wilderness years; Interlude in England:

The alliance between Gandhi and the Khilafat faction did not last long, and the campaign of resistance proved less effective than hoped, as India’s institutions continued to function. Jinnah sought alternative political ideas, and contemplated organising a new political party as a rival to the Congress. In September 1923, Jinnah was elected as Muslim member for Bombay in the new Central Legislative Assembly. He showed much skill as a parliamentarian, organising many Indian members to work with the Swaraj Party, and continued to press demands for full responsible government. In 1925, as recognition for his legislative activities, he was offered a knighthood by Lord Reading, who was retiring from the Viceroyalty. He replied: “I prefer to be plain Mr Jinnah.”

In 1927, the British Government, under Conservative Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, undertook a decennial review of Indian policy mandated by the Government of India Act 1919. The review began two years early as Baldwin feared he would lose the next election (which he did, in 1929). The Cabinet was influenced by minister Winston Churchill, who strongly opposed self-government for India, and members hoped that by having the commission appointed early, the policies for India which they favoured would survive their government. The resulting commission, led by Liberal MP John Simon, though with a majority of Conservatives, arrived in India in March 1928. They were met with a boycott by India’s leaders, Muslim and Hindu alike, angered at the British refusal to include their representatives on the commission. A minority of Muslims, though, withdrew from the League, choosing to welcome the Simon Commission and repudiating Jinnah. Most members of the League’s executive council remained loyal to Jinnah, attending the League meeting in December 1927 and January 1928 which confirmed him as the League’s permanent president. At that session, Jinnah told the delegates that “A constitutional war has been declared on Great Britain. Negotiations for a settlement are not to come from our side … By appointing an exclusively white Commission, [Secretary of State for India] Lord Birkenhead has declared our unfitness for self-government.”

Birkenhead in 1928 challenged Indians to come up with their own proposal for constitutional change for India; in response, the Congress convened a committee under the leadership of Motilal Nehru. The Nehru Report favoured constituencies based on geography on the ground that being dependent on each other for election would bind the communities closer together. Jinnah, though he believed separate electorates, based on religion, necessary to ensure Muslims had a voice in the government, was willing to compromise on this point, but talks between the two parties failed. He put forth proposals that he hoped might satisfy a broad range of Muslims and reunite the League, calling for mandatory representation for Muslims in legislatures and cabinets. These became known as his Fourteen Points. He could not secure adoption of the Fourteen Points, as the League meeting in Delhi at which he hoped to gain a vote instead dissolved into chaotic argument.

After Baldwin was defeated at the 1929 British parliamentary election, Ramsay MacDonald of the Labour Party became prime minister. MacDonald desired a conference of Indian and British leaders in London to discuss India’s future, a course of action supported by Jinnah. Three Round Table Conferences followed over as many years, none of which resulted in a settlement. Jinnah was a delegate to the first two conferences, but was not invited to the last. He remained in Britain for most of the period 1930 through 1934, practising as a barrister before the Privy Council, where he dealt with a number of India-related cases. His biographers disagree over why he remained so long in Britain—Wolpert asserts that had Jinnah been made a Law Lord, he would have stayed for life, and that Jinnah alternatively sought a parliamentary seat. Early biographer Hector Bolitho denied that Jinnah sought to enter the British Parliament, while Jaswant Singh deems Jinnah’s time in Britain as a break or sabbatical from the Indian struggle. Bolitho called this period “Jinnah’s years of order and contemplation, wedged in between the time of early struggle, and the final storm of conquest”.

In 1931, Fatima Jinnah joined her brother in England. From then on, Muhammad Jinnah would receive personal care and support from her as he aged and began to suffer from the lung ailments which would kill him. She lived and travelled with him, and became a close advisor. Muhammad Jinnah’s daughter, Dina, was educated in England and India. Jinnah later became estranged from Dina after she decided to marry a Christian, Neville Wadia from a prominent Parsi business family. When Jinnah urged Dina to marry a Muslim, she reminded him that he had married a woman not raised in his faith. Jinnah continued to correspond cordially with his daughter, but their personal relationship was strained, and she did not come to Pakistan in his lifetime, but only for his funeral.

 

Return to Politics:

The early 1930s saw a resurgence in Indian Muslim nationalism, which came to a head with the Pakistan Declaration. In 1933, Indian Muslims, especially from the United Provinces, began to urge Jinnah to return and take up again his leadership of the Muslim League, an organisation which had fallen into inactivity. He remained titular president of the League, but declined to travel to India to preside over its 1933 session in April, writing that he could not possibly return there until the end of the year.

Among those who met with Jinnah to seek his return was Liaquat Ali Khan, who would be a major political associate of Jinnah in the years to come and the first Prime Minister of Pakistan. At Jinnah’s request, Liaquat discussed the return with a large number of Muslim politicians and confirmed his recommendation to Jinnah. In early 1934, Jinnah relocated to the subcontinent, though he shuttled between London and India on business for the next few years, selling his house in Hampstead and closing his legal practice in Britain.

Muslims of Bombay elected Jinnah, though then absent in London, as their representative to the Central Legislative Assembly in October 1934. The British Parliament’s Government of India Act 1935 gave considerable power to India’s provinces, with a weak central parliament in New Delhi, which had no authority over such matters as foreign policy, defence, and much of the budget. Full power remained in the hands of the Viceroy, however, who could dissolve legislatures and rule by decree. The League reluctantly accepted the scheme, though expressing reservations about the weak parliament. The Congress was much better prepared for the provincial elections in 1937, and the League failed to win a majority even of the Muslim seats in any of the provinces where members of that faith held a majority. It did win a majority of the Muslim seats in Delhi, but could not form a government anywhere, though it was part of the ruling coalition in Bengal. The Congress and its allies formed the government even in the North-West Frontier Province (N.W.F.P.), where the League won no seats despite the fact that almost all residents were Muslim.

According to Jaswant Singh, “the events of 1937 had a tremendous, almost a traumatic effect upon Jinnah”. Despite his beliefs of twenty years that Muslims could protect their rights in a united India through separate electorates, provincial boundaries drawn to preserve Muslim majorities, and by other protections of minority rights, Muslim voters had failed to unite, with the issues Jinnah hoped to bring forward lost amid factional fighting. Singh notes the effect of the 1937 elections on Muslim political opinion, “when the Congress formed a government with almost all of the Muslim MLAs sitting on the Opposition benches, non-Congress Muslims were suddenly faced with this stark reality of near-total political powerlessness. It was brought home to them, like a bolt of lightning, that even if the Congress did not win a single Muslim seat … as long as it won an absolute majority in the House, on the strength of the general seats, it could and would form a government entirely on its own …”

In the next two years, Jinnah worked to build support among Muslims for the League. He secured the right to speak for the Muslim-led Bengali and Punjabi provincial governments in the central government in New Delhi (“the centre”). He worked to expand the League, reducing the cost of membership to two annas (⅛ of a rupee), half of what it cost to join the Congress. He restructured the League along the lines of the Congress, putting most power in a Working Committee, which he appointed. By December 1939, Liaquat estimated that the League had three million two-anna members.

 

Struggle for Pakistan:

Background to Independence;

Until the late 1930s, most Muslims of the British Raj expected, upon independence, to be part of a unitary state encompassing all of British India, as did the Hindus and others who advocated self-government. Despite this, other nationalist proposals were being made. In a speech given at Allahabad to a League session in 1930, Sir Muhammad Iqbal called for a state for Muslims in British India. Choudhary Rahmat Ali published a pamphlet in 1933 advocating a state “Pakistan” in the Indus Valley, with other names given to Muslim-majority areas elsewhere in India. Jinnah and Iqbal corresponded in 1936 and 1937; in subsequent years, Jinnah credited Iqbal as his mentor, and used Iqbal’s imagery and rhetoric in his speeches.

Although many leaders of the Congress sought a strong central government for an Indian state, some Muslim politicians, including Jinnah, were unwilling to accept this without powerful protections for their community. Other Muslims supported the Congress, which officially advocated a secular state upon independence, though the traditionalist wing (including politicians such as Madan Mohan Malaviya and Vallabhbhai Patel) believed that an independent India should enact laws such as banning the killing of cows and making Hindi a national language. The failure of the Congress leadership to disavow Hindu communalists worried Congress-supporting Muslims. Nevertheless, the Congress enjoyed considerable Muslim support up to about 1937.

Events which separated the communities included the failed attempt to form a coalition government including the Congress and the League in the United Provinces following the 1937 election. According to historian Ian Talbot, “The provincial Congress governments made no effort to understand and respect their Muslim populations’ cultural and religious sensibilities. The Muslim League’s claims that it alone could safeguard Muslim interests thus received a major boost. Significantly it was only after this period of Congress rule that it [the League] took up the demand for a Pakistan state …”

Balraj Puri in his journal article about Jinnah suggests that the Muslim League president, after the 1937 vote, turned to the idea of partition in “sheer desperation”. Historian Akbar S. Ahmed suggests that Jinnah abandoned hope of reconciliation with the Congress as he “rediscover[ed] his own Islamic roots, his own sense of identity, of culture and history, which would come increasingly to the fore in the final years of his life”. Jinnah also increasingly adopted Muslim dress in the late 1930s. In the wake of the 1937 balloting, Jinnah demanded that the question of power sharing be settled on an all-India basis, and that he, as president of the League, be accepted as the sole spokesman for the Muslim community.

 

Iqbal’s Influence on Jinnah:

The well documented influence of Iqbal on Jinnah, with regard to taking the lead in creating Pakistan, has been described as “significant”, “powerful” and even “unquestionable” by scholars. Iqbal has also been cited as an influential force in convincing Jinnah to end his self-imposed exile in London and re-enter the politics of India. Initially, however, Iqbal and Jinnah were opponents, as Iqbal believed Jinnah did not care about the crises confronting the Muslim community during the British Raj. According to Akbar S. Ahmed, this began to change during Iqbal’s final years prior to his death in 1938. Iqbal gradually succeeded in converting Jinnah over to his view, who eventually accepted Iqbal as his “mentor”. Ahmed comments that in his annotations to Iqbal’s letters, Jinnah expressed solidarity with Iqbal’s view: that Indian Muslims required a separate homeland.

Iqbal’s influence also gave Jinnah a deeper appreciation for Muslim identity. The evidence of this influence began to be revealed from 1937 onwards. Jinnah not only began to echo Iqbal in his speeches, he started using Islamic symbolism and began directing his addresses to the underprivileged. Ahmed noted a change in Jinnah’s words: while he still advocated freedom of religion and protection of the minorities, the model he was now aspiring to was that of the Prophet Muhammad, rather than that of a secular politician. Ahmed further avers that those scholars who have painted the later Jinnah as secular have misread his speeches which, he argues, must be read in the context of Islamic history and culture. Accordingly, Jinnah’s imagery of the Pakistan began to become clear that it was to have an Islamic nature. This change has been seen to last for the rest of Jinnah’s life. He continued to borrow ideas “directly from Iqbal—including his thoughts on Muslim unity, on Islamic ideals of liberty, justice and equality, on economics, and even on practices such as prayers”.

In a speech in 1940, two years after the death of Iqbal, Jinnah expressed his preference for implementing Iqbal’s vision for an Islamic Pakistan even if it meant he himself would never lead a nation. Jinnah stated, “If I live to see the ideal of a Muslim state being achieved in India, and I was then offered to make a choice between the works of Iqbal and the rulership of the Muslim state, I would prefer the former.”

 

Second World War and Lahore Resolution:

On 3 September 1939, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced the commencement of war with Nazi Germany. The following day, the Viceroy, Lord Linlithgow, without consulting Indian political leaders, announced that India had entered the war along with Britain. There were widespread protests in India. After meeting with Jinnah and with Gandhi, Linlithgow announced that negotiations on self-government were suspended for the duration of the war. The Congress on 14 September demanded immediate independence with a constituent assembly to decide a constitution; when this was refused, its eight provincial governments resigned on 10 November and governors in those provinces thereafter ruled by decree for the remainder of the war. Jinnah, on the other hand, was more willing to accommodate the British, and they in turn increasingly recognised him and the League as the representatives of India’s Muslims. Jinnah later stated, “after the war began, … I was treated on the same basis as Mr Gandhi. I was wonderstruck why I was promoted and given a place side by side with Mr Gandhi.” Although the League did not actively support the British war effort, neither did they try to obstruct it.

With the British and Muslims to some extent co-operating, the Viceroy asked Jinnah for an expression of the Muslim League’s position on self-government, confident that it would differ greatly from that of the Congress. To come up with such a position, the League’s Working Committee met for four days in February 1940 to set out terms of reference to a constitutional sub-committee. The Working Committee asked that the sub-committee return with a proposal that would result in “independent dominions in direct relationship with Great Britain” where Muslims were dominant. On 6 February, Jinnah informed the Viceroy that the Muslim League would be demanding partition instead of the federation contemplated in the 1935 Act. The Lahore Resolution (sometimes called the “Pakistan Resolution”, although it does not contain that name), based on the sub-committee’s work, embraced the Two-Nation Theory and called for a union of the Muslim-majority provinces in the northwest of British India, with complete autonomy. Similar rights were to be granted to the Muslim-majority areas in the east, and unspecified protections given to Muslim minorities in other provinces. The resolution was passed by the League session in Lahore on 23 March 1940.

Gandhi’s reaction to the Lahore Resolution was muted; he called it “baffling”, but told his disciples that Muslims, in common with other people of India, had the right to self-determination. Leaders of the Congress were more vocal; Jawaharlal Nehru referred to Lahore as “Jinnah’s fantastic proposals” while Chakravarti Rajagopalachari deemed Jinnah’s views on partition “a sign of a diseased mentality”. Linlithgow met with Jinnah in June 1940, soon after Winston Churchill became the British prime minister, and in August offered both the Congress and the League a deal whereby in exchange for full support for the war, Linlithgow would allow Indian representation on his major war councils. The Viceroy promised a representative body after the war to determine India’s future, and that no future settlement would be imposed over the objections of a large part of the population. This was satisfactory to neither the Congress nor the League, though Jinnah was pleased that the British had moved towards recognising Jinnah as the representative of the Muslim community’s interests. Jinnah was reluctant to make specific proposals as to the boundaries of Pakistan, or its relationships with Britain and with the rest of the subcontinent, fearing that any precise plan would divide the League.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 brought the United States into the war. In the following months, the Japanese advanced in Southeast Asia, and the British Cabinet sent a mission led by Sir Stafford Cripps to try to conciliate the Indians and cause them to fully back the war. Cripps proposed giving some provinces what was dubbed the “local option” to remain outside of an Indian central government either for a period of time or permanently, to become dominions on their own or be part of another confederation. The Muslim League was far from certain of winning the legislative votes that would be required for mixed provinces such as Bengal and Punjab to secede, and Jinnah rejected the proposals as not sufficiently recognising Pakistan’s right to exist. The Congress also rejected the Cripps plan, demanding immediate concessions which Cripps was not prepared to give. Despite the rejection, Jinnah and the League saw the Cripps proposal as recognising Pakistan in principle.

The Congress followed the failed Cripps mission by demanding, in August 1942, that the British immediately “Quit India”, proclaiming a mass campaign of satyagraha until they did. The British promptly arrested most major leaders of the Congress and imprisoned them for the remainder of the war. Gandhi, however, was placed on house arrest in one of the Aga Khan’s palaces prior to his release for health reasons in 1944. With the Congress leaders absent from the political scene, Jinnah warned against the threat of Hindu domination and maintained his Pakistan demand without going into great detail about what that would entail. Jinnah also worked to increase the League’s political control at the provincial level. He helped to found the newspaper Dawn in the early 1940s in Delhi; it helped to spread the League’s message and eventually became the major English-language newspaper of Pakistan.

In September 1944, Jinnah hosted Gandhi, recently released from confinement, at his home on Malabar Hill in Bombay. Two weeks of talks between them followed, which resulted in no agreement. Jinnah insisted on Pakistan being conceded prior to the British departure and to come into being immediately, while Gandhi proposed that plebiscites on partition occur sometime after a united India gained its independence. In early 1945, Liaquat and the Congress leader Bhulabhai Desai met, with Jinnah’s approval, and agreed that after the war, the Congress and the League should form an interim government with the members of the Executive Council of the Viceroy to be nominated by the Congress and the League in equal numbers. When the Congress leadership were released from prison in June 1945, they repudiated the agreement and censured Desai for acting without proper authority.

 

Independence and Mountbatten:

On 20 February 1947, Attlee announced Mountbatten’s appointment, and that Britain would transfer power in India not later than June 1948. Mountbatten took office as Viceroy on 24 March 1947, two days after his arrival in India. By then, the Congress had come around to the idea of partition. Nehru stated in 1960, “the truth is that we were tired men and we were getting on in years … The plan for partition offered a way out and we took it.” Leaders of the Congress decided that having loosely tied Muslim-majority provinces as part of a future India was not worth the loss of the powerful government at the centre which they desired. However, the Congress insisted that if Pakistan were to become independent, Bengal and Punjab would have to be divided.

Mountbatten had been warned in his briefing papers that Jinnah would be his “toughest customer” who had proved a chronic nuisance because “no one in this country [India] had so far gotten into Jinnah’s mind”. The men met over six days beginning on 5 April. The sessions began lightly when Jinnah, photographed between Louis and Edwina Mountbatten, quipped “A rose between two thorns” which the Viceroy took, perhaps gratuitously, as evidence that the Muslim leader had pre-planned his joke but had expected the vicereine to stand in the middle. Mountbatten was not favourably impressed with Jinnah, repeatedly expressing frustration to his staff about Jinnah’s insistence on Pakistan in the face of all argument.

Jinnah feared that at the end of the British presence in the subcontinent, they would turn control over to the Congress-dominated constituent assembly, putting Muslims at a disadvantage in attempting to win autonomy. He demanded that Mountbatten divide the army prior to independence, which would take at least a year. Mountbatten had hoped that the post-independence arrangements would include a common defence force, but Jinnah saw it as essential that a sovereign state should have its own forces. Mountbatten met with Liaquat the day of his final session with Jinnah, and concluded, as he told Attlee and the Cabinet in May, that “it had become clear that the Muslim League would resort to arms if Pakistan in some form were not conceded.”  The Viceroy was also influenced by negative Muslim reaction to the constitutional report of the assembly, which envisioned broad powers for the post-independence central government.

On 2 June, the final plan was given by the Viceroy to Indian leaders: on 15 August, the British would turn over power to two dominions. The provinces would vote on whether to continue in the existing constituent assembly or to have a new one, that is, to join Pakistan. Bengal and Punjab would also vote, both on the question of which assembly to join, and on the partition. A boundary commission would determine the final lines in the partitioned provinces. Plebiscites would take place in the North-West Frontier Province (which did not have a League government despite an overwhelmingly Muslim population), and in the majority-Muslim Sylhet district of Assam, adjacent to eastern Bengal. On 3 June, Mountbatten, Nehru, Jinnah and Sikh leader Baldev Singh made the formal announcement by radio. Jinnah concluded his address with “Pakistan Zindabad ” (Long live Pakistan), which was not in the script. In the weeks which followed Punjab and Bengal cast the votes which resulted in partition. Sylhet and the N.W.F.P. voted to cast their lots with Pakistan, a decision joined by the assemblies in Sind and Baluchistan.

On 4 July 1947, Liaquat asked Mountbatten on Jinnah’s behalf to recommend to the British king, George VI, that Jinnah be appointed Pakistan’s first governor-general. This request angered Mountbatten, who had hoped to have that position in both dominions—he would be India’s first post-independence governor-general—but Jinnah felt that Mountbatten would be likely to favour the new Hindu-majority state because of his closeness to Nehru. In addition, the governor-general would initially be a powerful figure, and Jinnah did not trust anyone else to take that office. Although the Boundary Commission, led by British lawyer Sir Cyril Radcliffe, had not yet reported, there were already massive movements of populations between the nations-to-be, as well as sectarian violence. Jinnah arranged to sell his house in Bombay and procured a new one in Karachi. On 7 August, Jinnah, with his sister and close staff, flew from Delhi to Karachi in Mountbatten’s plane, and as the plane taxied, he was heard to murmur, “That’s the end of that.” On 11 August, he presided over the new constituent assembly for Pakistan at Karachi, and addressed them, “You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan … You may belong to any religion or caste or creed—that has nothing to do with the business of the State … I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal and you will find that in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the State.” On 14 August, Pakistan became independent; Jinnah led the celebrations in Karachi. One observer wrote, “here indeed is Pakistan’s King Emperor, Archbishop of Canterbury, Speaker and Prime Minister concentrated into one formidable Quaid-e-Azam.”

 

Governor General:

The Radcliffe Commission, dividing Bengal and Punjab, completed its work and reported to Mountbatten on 12 August; the last Viceroy held the maps until the 17th, not wanting to spoil the independence celebrations in both nations. There had already been ethnically charged violence and movement of populations; publication of the Radcliffe Line dividing the new nations sparked mass migration, murder, and ethnic cleansing. Many on the “wrong side” of the lines fled or were murdered, or murdered others, hoping to make facts on the ground which would reverse the commission’s verdict. Radcliffe wrote in his report that he knew that neither side would be happy with his award; he declined his fee for the work. Christopher Beaumont, Radcliffe’s private secretary, later wrote that Mountbatten “must take the blame—though not the sole blame—for the massacres in the Punjab in which between 500,000 to a million men, women and children perished”. As many as 14,500,000 people relocated between India and Pakistan during and after partition. Jinnah did what he could for the eight million people who migrated to Pakistan; although by now over 70 and frail from lung ailments, he travelled across West Pakistan and personally supervised the provision of aid. According to Ahmed, “What Pakistan needed desperately in those early months was a symbol of the state, one that would unify people and give them the courage and resolve to succeed.”

Among the restive regions of the new nation was the North-West Frontier Province. The referendum there in July 1947 had been tainted by low turnout as less than 10 per cent of the population were allowed to vote. On 22 August 1947, just after a week of becoming governor general, Jinnah dissolved the elected government of Dr. Khan Abdul Jabbar Khan. Later on, Abdul Qayyum Khan was put in place by Jinnah in the Pashtun-dominated province despite him being a Kashmiri. On 12 August 1948 the Babrra massacre in Charsadda occurred resulting in the death of 400 people aligned with the Khudai Khidmatgar movement.

Along with Liaquat and Abdur Rab Nishtar, Jinnah represented Pakistan’s interests in the Division Council to appropriately divide public assets between India and Pakistan. Pakistan was supposed to receive one-sixth of the pre-independence government’s assets, carefully divided by agreement, even specifying how many sheets of paper each side would receive. The new Indian state, however, was slow to deliver, hoping for the collapse of the nascent Pakistani government, and reunion. Few members of the Indian Civil Service and the Indian Police Service had chosen Pakistan, resulting in staff shortages. Partition meant that for some farmers, the markets to sell their crops were on the other side of an international border. There were shortages of machinery, not all of which was made in Pakistan. In addition to the massive refugee problem, the new government sought to save abandoned crops, establish security in a chaotic situation, and provide basic services. According to economist Yasmeen Niaz Mohiuddin in her study of Pakistan, “although Pakistan was born in bloodshed and turmoil, it survived in the initial and difficult months after partition only because of the tremendous sacrifices made by its people and the selfless efforts of its great leader.”

The Indian Princely States were advised by the departing British to choose whether to join Pakistan or India. Most did so prior to independence, but the holdouts contributed to what have become lasting divisions between the two nations. Indian leaders were angered at Jinnah’s attempts to convince the princes of Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bhopal and Indore to accede to Pakistan—the latter three princely states did not border Pakistan. Jodhpur bordered it and had both a Hindu majority population and a Hindu ruler. The coastal princely state of Junagadh, which had a majority-Hindu population, did accede to Pakistan in September 1947, with its ruler’s dewan, Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto, personally delivering the accession papers to Jinnah. But the two states that were subject to the suzerainty of Junagadh—Mangrol and Babariawad—declared their independence from Junagadh and acceded to India. In response, the nawab of Junagadh militarily occupied the two states. Subsequently, the Indian army occupied the principality in November, forcing its former leaders, including Bhutto, to flee to Pakistan, beginning the politically powerful Bhutto family.

The most contentious of the disputes was, and continues to be, that over the princely state of Kashmir. It had a Muslim-majority population and a Hindu maharaja, Sir Hari Singh, who stalled his decision on which nation to join. With the population in revolt in October 1947, aided by Pakistani irregulars, the maharaja acceded to India; Indian troops were airlifted in. Jinnah objected to this action, and ordered that Pakistani troops move into Kashmir. The Pakistani Army was still commanded by British officers, and the commanding officer, General Sir Douglas Gracey, refused the order, stating that he would not move into what he considered the territory of another nation without approval from higher authority, which was not forthcoming. Jinnah withdrew the order. This did not stop the violence there, which broke into Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.

Some historians allege that Jinnah’s courting the rulers of Hindu-majority states and his gambit with Junagadh are evidence of ill-intent towards India, as Jinnah had promoted separation by religion, yet tried to gain the accession of Hindu-majority states. In his book Patel: A Life, Rajmohan Gandhi asserts that Jinnah hoped for a plebiscite in Junagadh, knowing Pakistan would lose, in the hope the principle would be established for Kashmir. However, when Mountbatten proposed to Jinnah that, in all the princely States where the ruler did not accede to a Dominion corresponding to the majority population (which would have included Junagadh, Hyderabad and Kashmir), the accession should be decided by an ‘impartial reference to the will of the people’, Jinnah rejected the offer. Despite the United Nations Security Council Resolution 47, issued at India’s request for a plebiscite in Kashmir after the withdrawal of Pakistani forces, this has never occurred.

In January 1948, the Indian government finally agreed to pay Pakistan its share of British India’s assets. They were impelled by Gandhi, who threatened a fast until death. Only days later, on 30 January, Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist, who believed that Gandhi was pro-Muslim. After hearing about Gandhi’s murder on the following day, Jinnah publicly made a brief statement of condolence, calling Gandhi “one of the greatest men produced by the Hindu community”.

In February 1948, in a radio talk broadcast addressed to the people of the US, Jinnah expressed his views regarding Pakistan’s constitution to be in the following way:

The Constitution of Pakistan is yet to be framed by the Pakistan Constituent Assembly, I do not know what the ultimate shape of the constitution is going to be, but I am sure that it will be of a democratic type, embodying the essential principles of Islam. Today these are as applicable in actual life as these were 1300 years ago. Islam and its idealism have taught us democracy. It has taught equality of man, justice and fair play to everybody. We are the inheritors of these glorious traditions and are fully alive to our responsibilities and obligations as framers of the future constitution of Pakistan.

In March, Jinnah, despite his declining health, made his only post-independence visit to East Pakistan. In a speech before a crowd estimated at 300,000, Jinnah stated (in English) that Urdu alone should be the national language, believing a single language was needed for a nation to remain united. The Bengali-speaking people of East Pakistan strongly opposed this policy, and in 1971 the official language issue was a factor in the region’s secession to form the country of Bangladesh.

 

Illness and Death:

From the 1930s, Jinnah suffered from tuberculosis; only his sister and a few others close to him were aware of his condition. Jinnah believed public knowledge of his lung ailments would hurt him politically. In a 1938 letter, he wrote to a supporter that “you must have read in the papers how during my tours … I suffered, which was not because there was anything wrong with me, but the irregularities [of the schedule] and over-strain told upon my health”. Many years later, Mountbatten stated that if he had known Jinnah was so physically ill, he would have stalled, hoping Jinnah’s death would avert partition. Fatima Jinnah later wrote, “even in his hour of triumph, the Quaid-e-Azam was gravely ill … He worked in a frenzy to consolidate Pakistan. And, of course, he totally neglected his health …” Jinnah worked with a tin of Craven “A” cigarettes at his desk, of which he had smoked 50 or more a day for the previous 30 years, as well as a box of Cuban cigars. As his health got worse, he took longer and longer rest breaks in the private wing of Government House in Karachi, where only he, Fatima and the servants were allowed.

In June 1948, he and Fatima flew to Quetta, in the mountains of Balochistan, where the weather was cooler than in Karachi. He could not completely rest there, addressing the officers at the Command and Staff College saying, “you, along with the other Forces of Pakistan, are the custodians of the life, property and honour of the people of Pakistan.”  He returned to Karachi for 1 July opening ceremony for the State Bank of Pakistan, at which he spoke. A reception by the Canadian trade commissioner that evening in honour of Dominion Day was the last public event he attended.

On 6 July 1948, Jinnah returned to Quetta, but at the advice of doctors, soon journeyed to an even higher retreat at Ziarat. Jinnah had always been reluctant to undergo medical treatment, but realising his condition was getting worse, the Pakistani government sent the best doctors it could find to treat him. Tests confirmed tuberculosis, and also showed evidence of advanced lung cancer. He was treated with the new “miracle drug” of streptomycin, but it did not help. Jinnah’s condition continued to deteriorate despite the Eid prayers of his people. He was moved to the lower altitude of Quetta on 13 August, the eve of Independence Day, for which a ghost-written statement for him was released. Despite an increase in appetite (he then weighed just over 36 kilograms or 79 pounds), it was clear to his doctors that if he was to return to Karachi in life, he would have to do so very soon. Jinnah, however, was reluctant to go, not wishing his aides to see him as an invalid on a stretcher.

By 9 September, Jinnah had also developed pneumonia. Doctors urged him to return to Karachi, where he could receive better care, and with his agreement, he was flown there on the morning of 11 September. Dr. Ilahi Bux, his personal physician, believed that Jinnah’s change of mind was caused by foreknowledge of death. The plane landed at Karachi that afternoon, to be met by Jinnah’s limousine, and an ambulance into which Jinnah’s stretcher was placed. The ambulance broke down on the road into town, and the Governor-General and those with him waited for another to arrive; he could not be placed in the car as he could not sit up. They waited by the roadside in oppressive heat as trucks and buses passed by, unsuitable for transporting the dying man and with their occupants not knowing of Jinnah’s presence. After an hour, the replacement ambulance came, and transported Jinnah to Government House, arriving there over two hours after the landing. Jinnah died later that night at 10:20 pm at his home in Karachi on 11 September 1948 at the age of 71, just over a year after Pakistan’s creation.

Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru stated upon Jinnah’s death, “How shall we judge him? I have been very angry with him often during the past years. But now there is no bitterness in my thought of him, only a great sadness for all that has been … he succeeded in his quest and gained his objective, but at what a cost and with what a difference from what he had imagined.” Jinnah was buried on 12 September 1948 amid official mourning in both India and Pakistan; a million people gathered for his funeral led by Shabbir Ahmad Usmani. Indian Governor-General Rajagopalachari cancelled an official reception that day in honour of the late leader. Today, Jinnah rests in a large marble mausoleum, Mazar-e-Quaid, in Karachi.

 

Legacy :

Jinnah’s legacy is Pakistan. According to Mohiuddin, “He was and continues to be as highly honored in Pakistan as [first US president] George Washington is in the United States … Pakistan owes its very existence to his drive, tenacity, and judgment … Jinnah’s importance in the creation of Pakistan was monumental and immeasurable.” Stanley Wolpert, giving a speech in honour of Jinnah in 1998, deemed him Pakistan’s greatest leader.

According to Jaswant Singh, “With Jinnah’s death Pakistan lost its moorings. In India there will not easily arrive another Gandhi, nor in Pakistan another Jinnah.” Malik writes, “As long as Jinnah was alive, he could persuade and even pressure regional leaders toward greater mutual accommodation, but after his death, the lack of consensus on the distribution of political power and economic resources often turned controversial.” According to Mohiuddin, “Jinnah’s death deprived Pakistan of a leader who could have enhanced stability and democratic governance … The rocky road to democracy in Pakistan and the relatively smooth one in India can in some measure be ascribed to Pakistan’s tragedy of losing an incorruptible and highly revered leader so soon after independence.”

His birthday is observed as a national holiday, Quaid-e-Azam Day, in Pakistan. Jinnah earned the title Quaid-e-Azam (meaning “Great Leader”). His other title is Baba-i-Qaum (Father of the Nation). The former title was reportedly given to Jinnah at first by Mian Ferozuddin Ahmed. It became an official title by effect of a resolution passed on 11 August 1947 by Liaquat Ali Khan in the Pakistan Constituent Assembly. There are some sources which endorse that Gandhi gave him that title. Within a few days of Pakistan’s creation Jinnah’s name was read in the khutba at mosques as Amir-ul-Millat, a traditional title of Muslim rulers.

The civil awards of Pakistan includes a ‘Order of Quaid-i-Azam’. The Jinnah Society also confers the ‘Jinnah Award’ annually to a person that renders outstanding and meritorious services to Pakistan and its people. Jinnah is depicted on all Pakistani rupee currency, and is the namesake of many Pakistani public institutions. The former Quaid-i-Azam International Airport in Karachi, now called the Jinnah International Airport, is Pakistan’s busiest. One of the largest streets in the Turkish capital Ankara, Cinnah Caddesi, is named after him, as is the Mohammad Ali Jenah Expressway in Tehran, Iran. The royalist government of Iran also released a stamp commemorating the centennial of Jinnah’s birth in 1976. In Chicago, a portion of Devon Avenue was named “Mohammed Ali Jinnah Way”. A section of Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn, New York was also named ‘Muhammad Ali Jinnah Way’ in honour of the founder of Pakistan.  The Mazar-e-Quaid, Jinnah’s mausoleum, is among Karachi’s landmarks. The “Jinnah Tower” in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India, was built to commemorate Jinnah.

There is a considerable amount of scholarship on Jinnah which stems from Pakistan; according to Akbar S. Ahmed, it is not widely read outside the country and usually avoids even the slightest criticism of Jinnah. According to Ahmed, some books published about Jinnah outside Pakistan mention that he consumed alcohol, but this is omitted from books published inside Pakistan. Ahmed suggests that depicting the Quaid drinking would weaken Jinnah’s Islamic identity, and by extension, Pakistan’s. Some sources allege he gave up alcohol near the end of his life. Yahya Bakhtiar, who observed Jinnah at close quarters, concluded that Jinnah was a “very sincere, deeply committed and dedicated Mussalman.”

According to historian Ayesha Jalal, while there is a tendency towards hagiography in the Pakistani view of Jinnah, in India he is viewed negatively. Ahmed deems Jinnah “the most maligned person in recent Indian history … In India, many see him as the demon who divided the land.” Even many Indian Muslims see Jinnah negatively, blaming him for their woes as a minority in that state. Some historians such as Jalal and H. M. Seervai assert that Jinnah never wanted the partition of India—it was the outcome of the Congress leaders being unwilling to share power with the Muslim League. They contend that Jinnah only used the Pakistan demand in an attempt to mobilise support to obtain significant political rights for Muslims. Francis Mudie, the last British Governor of Sindh, in Jinnah’s honour once said:

In judging Jinnah, we must remember what he was up against. He had against him not only the wealth and brains of the Hindus, but also nearly the whole of British officialdom, and most of the Home politicians, who made the great mistake of refusing to take Pakistan seriously. Never was his position really examined.

Jinnah has gained the admiration of Indian nationalist politicians such as Lal Krishna Advani, whose comments praising Jinnah caused an uproar in his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Indian politician Jaswant Singh’s book Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence (2009) caused controversy in India. The book was based on Jinnah’s ideology and alleged that Nehru’s desire for a powerful centre led to Partition. Upon the book release, Singh was expelled from his membership of Bharatiya Janata Party, to which he responded that BJP is “narrow-minded” and has “limited thoughts”.

Jinnah was the central figure of the 1998 film Jinnah, which was based on Jinnah’s life and his struggle for the creation of Pakistan. Christopher Lee, who portrayed Jinnah, called his performance the best of his career. The 1954 Hector Bolitho’s book Jinnah: Creator of Pakistan prompted Fatima Jinnah to release a book, titled My Brother (1987), as she thought that Bolitho’s book had failed to express the political aspects of Jinnah. The book received positive reception in Pakistan. Jinnah of Pakistan (1984) by Stanley Wolpert is regarded as one of the best biographical books on Jinnah.

The view of Jinnah in the West has been shaped to some extent by his portrayal in Sir Richard Attenborough’s 1982 film, Gandhi. The film was dedicated to Nehru and Mountbatten and was given considerable support by Nehru’s daughter, the Indian prime minister, Indira Gandhi. It portrays Jinnah (played by Alyque Padamsee) in an unflattering light, who seems to act out of jealousy of Gandhi. Padamsee later stated that his portrayal was not historically accurate. In a journal article on Pakistan’s first governor-general, historian R. J. Moore wrote that Jinnah is universally recognised as central to the creation of Pakistan. Stanley Wolpert summarises the profound effect that Jinnah had on the world:

Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Mohammad Ali Jinnah did all three.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Biography

Born on: 13 October 1948 – Lyallpur (Faislabad), Punjab, Pakistan
Died: 16 August 1997 (aged 48) London, England
Burial Place: Jhang Road Graveyard, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan
Spouse(s): Naheed Nusrat (1979)
Children: Nida Fateh Ali Khan
Occupation: Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Music director, Composer, Vocalist
Years active: 1964 – 1997

Image Credit Source – Facebook

Genres:    
  • Qawwali
  • Ghazal
  • Sufi
  • Classical
  • Folk world
  • Punjabi

 

Relatives:
  • Mubarak Ali Khan (Uncle)
  • Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan (Brother)
  • Mujahid Mubarak Ali Khan (Cousin)
  • Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (Nephew)
  • Rizwan-Muazzam (Nephew)

 

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan; 13 oct 1948 – 16 August 1997

Parvez Fateh Ali Khan known as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, was a Pakistani vocalist, musician, composer and music director primarily a singer of qawwali, a form of Sufi devotional music. He is considered to be the greatest Sufi singer in the Punjabi and Urdu language, and World’s greatest qawwali singer ever; he is often referred to as “Shahenshah-e-Qawwali” (The King of Kings of Qawwali). He was described as the 4th greatest singer of all time by LA Weekly in 2016. He was known for his vocal abilities and could perform at a high level of intensity for several hours. He belonged to the Qawwal Bacchon Gharana (Delhi gharana) extending the 600-year old qawwali tradition of his family, Khan is widely credited with introducing qawwali music to international audiences.

Born in Lyallpur (Faisalabad), Khan had his first public performance at the age of 15, at his father’s chelum. He became the head of the family qawwali party in 1971. He was signed by Oriental Star Agencies, Birmingham, England, in the early 1980s. Khan went on to release movie scores and albums in Europe, India, Japan, Pakistan and the U.S. He engaged in collaborations and experiments with Western artists, becoming a well-known world music artist. He toured extensively, performing in over 40 countries. In addition to popularising qawwali music, he also had a big impact on contemporary South Asian popular music, including Pakistani pop, Indian pop and Bollywood music.

Early Life and Career

Khan was born into a Muslim family in (Lyallpur) Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan, in 1948. His family originates from Basti Sheikh Darvesh in Jalandhar, Punjab in present-day India. His ancestors learned music and singing there and adopted it as a profession. He was the fifth child and first son of Fateh Ali Khan, a musicologist, vocalist, instrumentalist, and qawwal. Khan’s family, which included four older sisters and a younger brother, Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan, grew up in central Faisalabad. The tradition of qawwali in the family had passed down through successive generations for almost 600 years. Initially, his father did not want Khan to follow the family’s vocation. He had his heart set on Nusrat choosing a much more respectable career path and becoming a doctor or engineer because he felt qawwali artists had low social status. However, Khan showed such an aptitude for and interest in qawwali, that his father finally relented.

In 1971, after the death of his uncle Mubarak Ali Khan, Khan became the official leader of the family qawwali party and the party became known as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mujahid Mubarak Ali Khan & Party. Khan’s first public performance as the leader of the qawwali party was at a studio recording broadcast as part of an annual music festival organized by Radio Pakistan, known as Jashn-e-Baharan. Khan sang mainly in Urdu and Punjabi and occasionally in Persian, Braj Bhasha and Hindi. His first major hit in Pakistan was the song Haq Ali Ali, which was performed in a traditional style and with traditional instrumentation. The song featured restrained use of Khan’s sargam improvisations.

Later Career

In the summer of 1985, Khan performed at the World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) festival in London. He performed in Paris in 1985 and 1988. He first visited Japan in 1987, at the invitation of the Japan Foundation. He performed at the 5th Asian Traditional Performing Art Festival in Japan. He also performed at Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York, in 1989, earning him admiration from the American audience.

Khan, throughout his career, had great understanding with many south Asian singers such as Alam Lohar, Noor Jehan, A. R. Rahman, Asha Bhosle, Javed Akhtar, and the Lata Mangeshkar.

In the 1992 to 1993 academic year, Khan was a Visiting Artist in the Ethnomusicology department at the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States.

In 1988, Khan teamed up with Peter Gabriel on the soundtrack to The Last Temptation of Christ, which led to Khan being signed to Gabriel’s Real World label. He would go on to release five albums of traditional qawwali through Real World, along with the more experimental albums Mustt Mustt (1990), Night Song (1996), and the posthumous remix album Star Rise (1997).

Khan’s experimental work for Real World, which featured his collaborations with the Canadian guitarist Michael Brook, spurred on several further collaborations with a number of other Western composers and rock musicians. One of the most noteworthy of these collaborations came in 1995, when Khan grouped with Pearl Jam’s lead singer Eddie Vedder on two songs for the soundtrack to Dead Man Walking. Khan also provided vocals for The Prayer Cycle which was put together by Jonathan Elias, but died before the tracks could be completed. Alanis Morissette was brought in to sing with his unfinished vocals. In 2002, Gabriel included Khan’s vocals on the posthumously released track “Signal to Noise” on his album Up.

Khan’s album Intoxicated Spirit was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album in 1997. That same year, his album Night Song was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album.

Khan contributed songs to, and performed in, several Pakistani films. Shortly before his death, he composed music for three Bollywood films, which includes the film Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya, in which he also sang for “Koi Jaane Koi Na Jaane” on-screen with the lead pair, and “Zindagi Jhoom Kar”. He also composed music for Kartoos where he sang for “Ishq Da Rutba”, and “Bahaa Na Aansoo”, alongside Udit Narayan. He died very shortly prior to the movie’s release. His final music composition for Bollywood was for the movie, Kachche Dhaage where he sang in “Iss Shaan-E-Karam Ka Kya Kehna”. The movie was released in 1999, two years after his death. The two singing sisters of Bollywood, Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar sang for the songs he composed in his brief stint in Bollywood. He also sang “Saya Bhi Saath Jab Chhod Jaye” for Sunny Deol’s movie Dillagi. The song was released in 1999, two years after Khan’s death. He also sang “Dulhe Ka Sehra” from the Bollywood movie Dhadkan which was released in 2000. Khan was used by Imran Khan to source funds for his Cancer Hospital as told by Appo G, his eldest of four sisters. Khan contributed the song “Gurus of Peace” to the 1997 album Vande Mataram, composed by A. R. Rahman, and released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of India’s independence. As a posthumous tribute, Rahman later released an album titled Gurus of Peace which included “Allah Hoo” by Khan. Rahman’s 2007 song “Tere Bina” for the film Guru was also composed as a tribute to Khan.

Tributes, Legacy and Influence

Khan is often credited as one of the progenitors of “world music”. Widely acclaimed for his spiritual charisma and distinctive exuberance, he was one of the first and most important artists to popularise qawwali, then considered an “arcane religious tradition”, to Western audiences. His powerful vocal presentations, which could last up to 10 hours, brought forth a craze for his music all over Europe.

Alexandra A. Seno of Asiaweek wrote;

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s voice was otherworldly. For 25 years, his mystical songs transfixed millions. It was not long enough … He performed qawwali,which means wise or philosophical utterance, as nobody else of his generation did. His vocal range, talent for improvisation and sheer intensity were unsurpassed.

Jeff Buckley cited Khan as a major influence, saying of him “He’s my Elvis”, and performing the first few minutes of Khan’s “Yeh Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai” (including vocals) at live concerts. Many other artists have also cited Khan as an influence, such as Nadia Ali, Zayn Malik, Malay, Peter Gabriel, A. R. Rahman, Sheila Chandra, Alim Qasimov, Eddie Vedder, and Joan Osborne, among others. His music was also appreciated by singers such as Mick Jagger, socialites such as Parmeshwar Godrej, actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Trudie Styler, Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins, and authors such as Sam Harris, who cited Khan as one of his favourite musicians of all time.

Paul Williams picked a concert performance by Khan for inclusion in his 2000 book The 20th Century’s Greatest Hits: a ‘top-40’ list, in which he devotes a chapter each to what he considers the top 40 artistic achievements of the 20th century in any field (including art, movies, music, fiction, non-fiction, science-fiction). The Derek Trucks Band covers Khan’s songs on two of their studio albums. Their 2002 album Joyful Noise includes a cover of “Maki Madni”, which features a guest performance by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Khan’s nephew. 2005’s Songlines includes a medley of two of Khan’s songs, “Sahib Teri Bandi” and “Maki Madni”. This medley first appeared on the band’s live album Live at Georgia Theatre (2004).

In 2004, a tribute band called Brooklyn Qawwali Party (formerly Brook’s Qawwali Party) was formed in New York City by percussionist Brook Martinez to perform the music of Khan. The 13-piece group still performs mostly instrumental jazz versions of Khan’s qawwalis, using the instruments conventionally associated with jazz rather than those associated with qawwali.

In 2007, electronic music producer and performer Gaudi, after being granted access to back catalogue recordings from Rehmat Gramophone House (Khan’s former label in Pakistan), released an album of entirely new songs composed around existing vocals. The album, Dub Qawwali, was released by Six Degrees Records. It reached no. 2 in the iTunes US Chart, no. 4 in the UK and was the no. 1 seller in Amazon.com’s Electronic Music section for a period. It also earned Gaudi a nomination for the BBC’s World Music Awards 2008.

On 13 October 2015, Google celebrated Khan’s 67th birthday with a doodle on its homepage in six countries, including India, Pakistan, Japan, Sweden, Ghana, and Kenya, calling him the person “who opened the world’s ears to the rich, hypnotic sounds of the Sufis”. “Thanks to his legendary voice, Khan helped bring ‘world music’ to the world”, said Google.

In February 2016, a rough mix of a song recorded by Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1998 called “Circle of the Noose” was leaked to the internet. Guitarist Dave Navarro described the song saying, “It’s pop in the sense of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, hook. I really love it and we use a loop of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. It’s really nice. The best way I can describe it is it’s like pepped- up ’60s folk with ’90s ideals, but I would hate to label it as folk because it’s not, it moves.”

The 2018 book The Displaced Children of Displaced Children (Eyewear Publishing) by Pakistani American poet Faisal Mohyuddin includes the poem “Faisalabad”, a tribute to Khan and to the city of Khan’s birth. “Faisalabad” includes a number or references to Khan, including the excerpt, “There are no better cures for homesickness / than Nusrat’s qawwalis, / except when you’re a mother / and you find comfort in the unfolding / hours of a child’s existence.” The poem was first published by Narrative Magazine in Spring 2017

Awards and Titles:

The world of awards always falls too short in front of a great man of stature of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. No award can exceed the Unimaginable Enduring love and respect  poured by millions of fans and thousands of artists around the globe on Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Once a magazine wrote ” Nusrat’s voice has conquered more Alexander’s sword”. World knows that the statement was true. However for the very simple and humble Nusrat, the greatest achievement ever always remained the same “A fan liking his song”.

 

Lists Featuring Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan:-

  1. 1. Mojo 100 Greatest Singers Of All Time
  2. The 20th Century Greatest Hits: What works of Art should be remembered and why
  3. 3. Artists, writers, and musicians: an encyclopedia of people who changed the world
  4. The 100 Greatest Stars Of 20th Century………….Q Magazine (August 1999)
  5. 5. Top 12 Artists and Thinkers in the last 60 years………TIME Magazine,2006
  6. 50 Most Influential Artists Of Music ………. SPIN Magazine,1998
  7. NPR 50 Great Voices…………. National Public Radio,USA,2010
  8. 20 Most Iconic Musicians From Past 50 Years ……. CNN,2010
  9. 100 Minorities who changed the World: ……..by Sacred-Bridge
  10. Spin Magazine 100 greatest singers
  11. UGO, Best Singers of All Times

 

Major Awards (in chronological order)

  • Best Qawwal 1982 Punjab Youth Academy Lahore
  • Award by Cultural Association of Pakistan
  • Pride of Performance Presidential Award Government of Pakistan
  • Grand Prix 1989 Deola France
  • 5th Asian Traditional Performing Art Festival Japan Foundation (Best Singer)
  • Award for Great Contribution to Qawwali by Pakistan Workers Association London
  • Shield Presented by Urdu Revival and Cultural Society South Africa
  • For Services to Pakistan Music by Pakistan Welfare Association Birmingham UK
  • Award Presented by His Worship Councillor Frank Carter Lord Mayor Birmingham
  • Dycct Award
  • Adelaide Music Festival, Most Popular Singer (1992)
  • UNESCO Music Prize (Gretest Musician, 1995) Young Writers Award, Italy
  • Grand Prix des Amériques at Montreal World Film Festival for exceptional contribution to the art of cinema.(1996)
  • Two Grammy Nominations (1997, for fusion work)
  • “Legends” award at the UK Asian Music Awards (2005)

 

Titles

  • A voice from Heaven
  • Shahanshah-e-Qawwali
  • Khusrau-e-Sani
  • Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
  • Doctor Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
  • Professor Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
  • Niak Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
  • Best Qawwal Graduate Award
  • Peace Award Faisalabad
  • Living Legend
  • Guders Award Faisalabad
  • Super Star of Music
  • Popular Voice of Islam
  • Power of Pakistan
  • Pakistan’s Wall of Sound
  • A Man Called Qawwali
  • Nusrat the Magnificent
  • Singing Buddha
  • Shining Star of Music
  • Messenger of Peace
  • De Jays Award
  • Inner Wheel Club of Lahore
  • The Legend of Music World Raja Entertainers
  • Shaharyar-e-Mosseqi

 

Popular Culture

One of Khan’s famous qawwali songs, “Tere Bin Nahin Lagda” (“I am restless without you”), appeared on two of his 1996 albums, Sorrows Vol. 69 and Sangam (as “Tere Bin Nahin Lagda Dil”), the latter a collaborative album with Indian lyricist Javed Akhtar; Sangam sold over 1 million copies in India. Lata Mangeshkar recorded a cover version called “Tere Bin Nahin Jeena” for Kachche Dhaage, starring Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan and Manisha Koirala. Composed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the Kachche Dhaage soundtrack album sold 3 million units in India. British-Indian producer Bally Sagoo released a remix of “Tere Bin Nahin Lagda”, which was later featured in the 2002 British film Bend It Like Beckham, starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley. A cover version called “Tere Bin” was recorded by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan with Asees Kaur for the 2018 Bollywood film Simmba, starring Ranveer Singh and Sara Ali Khan.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s music had a big impact on Bollywood music, inspiring numerous Indian musicians working in Bollywood since the late 1980s. For example, he inspired A. R. Rahman and Javed Akhtar, both of whom he collaborated with. However, there were many hit filmi songs from other Indian music directors that plagiarised Khan’s music. Viju Shah’s hit song “Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast” in Mohra (1994) was plagiarised from Khan’s popular qawwali song “Dam Mast Qalandar”.

Despite the significant number of hit Bollywood songs plagiarised from his music, he was reportedly tolerant towards the plagiarism. In one interview, he jokingly gave “Best Copy” awards to Viju Shah and Anu Malik. In his defense, Malik claimed that he loved Khan’s music and was actually showing admiration by using his tunes. However, Khan was reportedly aggrieved when Malik turned his spiritual “Allah Hoo, Allah Hoo” into “I Love You, I Love You” in Auzaar. Khan said “he has taken my devotional song Allahu and converted it into I love you. He should at least respect my religious songs.”

His music also appears on soundtracks for Hollywood films such as The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Natural Born Killers (1994) and Dead Man Walking (1995)

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Discography

Most of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s early music was recorded with Rehmat Gramophone House later turned RGH Label. Throughout the ’70s and early ’80s Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan released hundreds of cassettes, most of them containing one or two lengthy songs. Chris Nickson, of Global Rhythm, argues that trying to make order of Khan’s entire discography would be a nightmare.

Nusrat Fateh recorded hundreds of albums around the globe. OSA, Birmingham released about 125 audio albums and 30-35 concert films. His international labels included Real World Records, Virgin Music, Ocora, World Music Network, Shanachie, Nascente, American Records, EMI Arabia & France. He recorded 40-50 cassettes in Pakistan, many of which are available under the EMI Label. More than a decade after his death music companies around the world are releasing new albums every year.

Albums:

Original Sound Track (OSA):
  • Vol 1, Best of Shahenshah
  • Vol 2, Tumhain Dillagi Bhool
  • Vol 3, Je Toon Rab Noon Manana
  • Vol 4, Wadah Kar Ke Sahjjan
  • Gorakh Dhanda – Vol 05
  • Yadon ke Sayeay – Vol 06
  • Jani Door Gaye – Vol 07
  • House of Shah – Vol 08
  • Dam Dam Ali Ali – Vol 9
  • Jhoole Laal – Vol 10
  • Marhaba Marhaba – Vol 11
  • Magic Touch – Vol 12
  • Shabads – Vol 13
  • Mast Qalander – Vol 14
  • Maikadah – Vol 15
  • Bari Bari – Vol 16
  • Nit Khair Mangan – Vol 17
  • Mae Ni Mae – Vol 18
  • Sham Savere – Vol 19
  • Naat – Vol 20
  • Bulle Shah – Vol 21
  • Aansoo – Vol 22
  • Mighty Khan – Vol 23
  • Dhol Mahia – Vol 24
  • Allah Hoo – Vol 25
  • Chithhi – Vol 26
  • Kali Kali Zulfon – Vol 27
  • Sanson Ki Mala – Vol 28
  • Saqi Mere Saqi – Vol 29
  • Vird Karo Allah Allah – Vol 30
  • Akhian – Vol 31
  • Beh Ja Mahi – Vol 32
  • Neendran – Vol 33
  • Sanam – Vol 34
  • Mere Man Ka Raja – Vol 35
  • Piya Ghar Aaya – Vol 36
  • Washington University – Vol 37
  • Mast Nazron Se – Vol 38
  • House of Shah 2 – Vol 39
  • Kande Utte Mehrman Way – Vol 40
  • Yadan – Vol 41
  • Jana Jogi De Naal – Vol 42
  • Ali Maula – Vol 43
  • Tere Main Ishq Nachaian
  • Charkha Naulakha – Vol 45
  • Kehde Ghar Jawan – Vol 46
  • House Of Shah 3 – Vol 47
  • Jewel – Vol 48
  • Mighty Khan 2 – Vol 49
  • Must Mast 2 – Vol 50
  • Bandit Queen – Vol 51
  • Prem Deewani – Vol 52
  • Kalam-e-Iqbal – Vol 53
  • Ya Hayyo Ya Qayyum – Vol 54
  • Chan Sajna – Vol 55
  • Loay Loay Aaja Mahi – Vol 56
  • Wohi Khuda Hai – Vol 57
  • Pilao Saqi – Vol 58
  • Samandar Maen Samandar – Vol 59
  • Ishq – Vol 60
  • Piala – Vol 61
  • Kulli Yar Dee – Vol 62
  • Gali Wichoon Kaun Langia – Vol 63
  • Sufi Qawwalies – Vol 64
  • Pyar Karte Hain – Vol 65
  • Sorrows – Vol 69

 

Major International Releases
  • In Concert in Paris, VolNitin Sawhney, Musician, 17 June 2004, Observer.co.uk 1. Ocora.
  • Shahen-Shah. RealWorld/CEMA.
  • Mustt Mustt. RealWorld/CEMA. Collaboration with Michael Brook.
  • Magic Touch OSA.
  • Shahbaaz. RealWorld/CEMA.
  • The Day, The Night, The Dawn, The Dusk. Shanachie Records.
  • Devotional Songs. Real World Records.
  • Love Songs. EMI.
  • Ilham. Audiorec.
  • Traditional Sufi Qawwalis: Live in London, Vol. 2. Navras Records.
  • Pakistan: Vocal Art of the Sufis, Vol 2 – Qawwali. JVC.
  • Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Party. Real World Records.
  • The Last Prophet. Real World Records.
  • Traditional Sufi Qawwalis: Live in London, Vol. 4. Navras Records.
  • Revelation. Interra/Intersound.
  • Back to Qawwali. Long Distance
  • In Concert in Paris, Vol. 3–5. Ocora.
  • Qawwali: The Art of the Sufis. JVC
  • Night Song. Real World Records.
  • Dead Man Walking: The Score. Columbia/Sony
  • Intoxicated Spirit. Shanachie Records.
  • Mega Star. Interra.
  • Bandit Queen. Milan.
  • The Prophet Speaks. M.I.L. Multimedia.
  • Sangam. EMI.
  • Live In India. RPG.
  • Akhian. M.I.L. Multimedia.
  • Live in New York City. M.I.L. Multimedia.
  • Farewell Song: Alwadah. M.I.L. Multimedia.
  • In Concert in Paris, Vol 2. Ocora.
  • Oriente/Occidente: Gregorian Chant & Qawwali Music. Materiali Sonori.
  • Dust to Gold, Realworld Recordings.
  • Allah & The Prophet. Ex Works.
  • Star Rise: Remixes. EMI.
  • Live at Royal Albert Hall. M.I.L. Multimedia.
  • Missives from Allah. BCD.
  • Imprint: In Concert. Hi Horse Records. (Selections from the 23 January 1993 concert at Meany Hall, University of Washington in Seattle, during Khan’s residency at their Ethnomusicology program.)
  • Peace. Omni Parc.
  • Live at Islamabad, Vol 1–2. M.I.L. Multimedia.
  • Passion. NYC Music.
  • Visions of Allah. Ex Works.
  • Swan Song. Narada.
  • Jewel. MoviePlay.
  • Live in London, Vol 3. Navras Records.
  • Opus. Vanstory.
  • The Final Studio Recordings. Legacy/Sony.
  • Pukaar: The Echo. Navras Records.
  • The Final Moment. Birdman Records.
  • Body and Soul. RealWorld/CEMA.
  • Sufi Qawwalis. Arc Music.
  • Allah Hoo. Saregama.
  • Aur Pyar Ho Gaya. Saregama.
  • Ishq Da Rutba. Saregama.
  • Kartoos. Saregama.
  • Main Aur Meri Awargi. Saregama.
  • Ye Jo Halka. Saregama.
  • Nami Danam. JVC Compact Discs.
  • Mitter Pyare Nu. Nupur Audio

 

Album Features
  • Passion (1989) – with Peter Gabriel
  • Only One (1997) – with Mahmood Khan
  • Vande Mataram (1997) – with A. R. Rahman

 

Death

Various reports said Khan weighed over 135 kilograms. He had been seriously ill for several months, according to a spokesperson at his U.S. label, American Recordings. After traveling to London from his native Pakistan for treatment for liver and kidney problems, he was rushed from the airport to Cromwell Hospital in London.

He died of a sudden cardiac arrest at Cromwell Hospital on 16 August 1997, aged 48. His body was repatriated to Faisalabad, and his funeral was a public affair. He was buried in Kabootran Wala Qabristan also known as Jhang Road Graveyard on Jhang Road, Faisalabad.

His wife, Naheed Nusrat, died on 13 September 2013 in Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Naheed had moved to Canada after the death of her husband. She is survived by their daughter Nida Khan. Khan’s musical legacy is now carried forward by his nephews, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Rizwan-Muazzam.

Nadeem Baig

Biography

Image Credit Source – Facebook

Mirza Nazeer Baig – 19 July 1941 :

Mirza Nazeer Baig – 19 July 1941 better known by his stage name,

Nadeem Baig is a Pakistani actor, singer and producer. Since the beginning of his career in 1967, he has appeared in over two hundred films and has won various awards, including the 1997 Pride of Performance award. In Pakistan Nadeem enjoys the same status as Amitabh Bachchan enjoys in India.

 

Early life:

Baig was born in Vijayawada in modern Andhra Pradesh which, in 1941, was part of Madras Presidency in British India. Nadeem Baig migrated to Pakistan along with his family after the independence of Pakistan in 1947. He finished his high school at Sindh Madrasa-tul-Islam and attended some years of college at Government Islamia Science College, Karachi before he entered the Pakistani film industry.

Nadeem, along with artistes Talat Hussain, M. Zaheer Khan, Aftab Azeem, Saleem Jafry, and TV producer Iqbal Haider, were all discovered at a club in Karachi in the 1960s. He and his friends, Ameer Ahmed Khan and Qasim Siddiqui, won several music competitions. At one of those musical competitions, he was noticed by singer Ferdausi Rahman. She was impressed by his singing talent and encouraged him to try playback singing in Dhaka’s film industry.

 

Career:

Nadeem’s film career spans more than 50 years in 2019. He started his career in 1967 and appeared in his first film Chakori (1967) in a leading role with actress Shabana. The film was produced and directed by Captain Ehtesham, who, in real life, became his father-in-law in 1968 when Nadeem married Farzana, Ehtesham’s daughter. The film did well in both circuits of Pakistani film industry, i.e., West and East Pakistan. He won a Nigar Award in the best actor’s category for Chakori. Nadeem’s films include Nadan (1973), Anari, Pehchan (1975), Talash (1976), Aina (1977), Hum Dono (1980), Lajawab, Qurbani (1981), Sangdil (1982), and Dehleez (1983). He made a popular screen pairing with actress Shabnam with whom he acted in most of his films. Besides acting, Nadeem has sung many songs for films. Nadeem has worked with veteran film directors of Pakistani film industry including Pervez Malik, Nazrul Islam, S. Suleman, Shamim Ara, Sangeeta and Samina Peerzada. Among the well-known actors, he has worked with Santosh Kumar, Darpan, Waheed Murad, Allauddin and Syed Kamal over his long career.

 

Playback Singers:

In his career, Nadeem is mostly voiced by Ahmed Rushdi and latter Akhlaq Ahmed provided his voice. He himself acknowledged that songs in Rushdi’s voice made his work easier and played a significant role in his success. Other playback singers who provided voice for him were Mehdi Hassan, Masood Rana, Mujeeb Aalam, Asad Amanat Ali Khan, Bashir Ahmad, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan and A Nayyar.

 

Filmography:

Nadeem Baig has acted in over 200 Pakistani Films from his debut film Chakori (1967); and in his hit films such as Diya Aur Toofan (1969), and Aina (1977) to modern superhits such as Main Hoon Shahid Afridi (2013).

  • Chakori (1967) (Nadeem’s debut film)
  • Diya Aur Toofan (1969)
  • Daman Aur Chingari (1973)
  • Aina (1977)
  • Bandish (1980)
  • Dil Lagi (1973)
  • Shama (1974)
  • Phool Mere Gulshan Ka (1974)
  • Anari (1975)
  • Jab Jab Phool Khile (1975)
  • Pehchan (1975)
  • Umang
  • Naadan
  • Chote Sahab
  • Daagh
  • Muthi Bhar Chawal (1978)
  • Amber (1978)
  • Pakeeza (1979)
  • Doordesh (1983)
  • Mukhra (1988)- a film produced by Nadeem Baig also
  • Bulandi (1990)
  • Anhoni (1993)
  • Sargam (1995)
  • Jeeva (1995)
  • Jo Darr Gaya Woh Mar Gaya (1995)
  • Umar Mukhtar (1997)
  • Dupatta Jal Raha Hai (1998)
  • Inteha (1999)
  • Koi Tujh Sa Kahan (2005)
  • Mein Ek Din Laut Kay Aaoon Ga (2007)
  • Love Mein Gum (2011)
  • Main Hoon Shahid Afridi (2013)
  • The System (2014)
  • Hijrat (2016)
  • Sikander (2016)
  • Shaan-e-Ishq (2017)
  • Superstar (2019)
  • Parey Hut Love (2019)
  • Zarrar (2020)

 

Television:
Year     Drama Title Channel
2005   Riyasat  ARY Digital
2007  Saheli Hum TV
2014    Jaan Hatheli Par    PTV Home
2015 Mol  Hum TV 
2016 Tum Yaad Aaye ARY Digital 
2016 Rishta Hai Jaisey  Aaj Entertainment  

 

Awards and Recognition:
  • Nigar Award for a total of 16 times between 1967 and 2002 as an actor including the Nigar Award Millennium Award in 1999
  • Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 1997

Noor Jehan

Biography

Image Credit Source – Facebook

Madam Noor Jehan (21 September 1926 – 23 December 2000)

Noor Jehan (Allah Rakhi Wasai) 21 September 1926 – 23 December 2000, also known by her honorific title Malika-e-Tarannum (The Queen of Melody), was a Pakistani playback singer and actress who worked first in British India and then in the cinema of Pakistan. Her career spanned more than six decades (the 1930s–1990s). She was renowned as one of the greatest and most influential singers of all time especially throughout South Asia and was given the honorific title of Malika-e-Tarannum in Pakistan. She had a command of Hindustani classical music as well as other music genres.

Along with Ahmed Rushdi, she holds the record for having given voice to the largest number of film songs in the history of Pakistani cinema. She is estimated to have made more than 40 films and sung around 20,000 numbers during a career which lasted more than half a century. She is thought to be one of the most prolific singers of all time. She is also considered to be the first female Pakistani film director.

Early life:

Noor Jehan was born as Allah Rakhi Wasai into a Punjabi Muslim family in Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan and was one of the eleven children of Imdad Ali and Fateh Bibi.

She came from a Muslim family with a rich musical tradition. She began singing at the age of 5 and received early training in classical singing under Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, a famous Hindustani vocalist.

As a young girl, Noor Jehan appeared in the K.D. Mehra directed Punjabi movie Pind di Kuri (1935) and next acted in a film called Missar Ka Sitara (1936). Noor Jehan also played the child role of Heer in the film Heer-Sayyal (1937).

In 1938 Noor Jehan moved to Lahore. Her first major film role was opposite the Indian actor Pran in Khandaan (1942). The film became a major hit and she moved to Mumbai with its director, Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi, who she later married.

After the Partition in 1947, Jehan decided to move to Pakistan and settled in Karachi.

 

Career:

Her Career in British India

Jehan began to sing at the age of five and showed a keen interest in a range of styles, including traditional folk and popular theatre. Realising her potential for singing, her mother sent her to receive early training in classical singing under Ustad Ghulam Mohammad. He instructed her in the traditions of the Patiala Gharana of Hindustani classical music and the classical forms of thumri, dhrupad, and khyal.

At the age of nine, Noor Jehan drew the attention of Punjabi musician Ghulam Ahmed Chishti, who would later introduce her to the stage in Lahore. He composed some ghazals, na`ats and folk songs for her to perform, although she was keener on breaking into acting or playback singing. Once her vocational training finished, Jehan pursued a career in singing alongside her sister in Lahore, and would usually take part in the live song and dance performances prior to screenings of films in cinemas.

Theatre owner Diwan Sardari Lal took the small girl to Calcutta in the early 1930s and the entire family moved to Calcutta in hopes of developing the movie careers of Allah Wasai and her older sisters, Eiden Bai and Haider Bandi. Mukhtar Begum encouraged the sisters to join film companies and recommended them to various producers. She also recommended them to her husband, Agha Hashar Kashmiri, who owned a maidan theatre (a tented theatre to accommodate large audiences). It was here that Wasai received the stage name, Baby Noor Jehan. Her older sisters were offered jobs with one of the Seth Sukh Karnani companies, Indira Movietone and they went on to be known as the Punjab Mail.

In 1935, K.D. Mehra directed the Punjabi movie Pind di Kuri in which Noor Jehan acted along with her sisters and sang the Punjabi song “Langh aja patan chanaan da o yaar”, which became her earliest hit. She then acted in a film called Missar Ka Sitara (1936) by the same company and sang in it for music composer Damodar Sharma. Jehan also played the child role of Heer in the film Heer-Sayyal (1937). One of her popular songs from that period “Shala jawaniyan maney” is from Dalsukh Pancholi’s Punjabi film Gul Bakawli (1939). All these Punjabi movies were made in Calcutta. After a few years in Calcutta, Jehan returned to Lahore in 1938. In 1939, renowned music director Ghulam Haider composed songs for Jehan which led to her early popularity, and he thus became her early mentor.

In 1942, she played the main lead opposite Pran in Khandaan (1942). It was her first role as an adult, and the film was a major success. The success of Khandaan saw her shifting to Bombay, with the director Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi. She shared melodies with Shanta Apte in Duhai (1943). It was in this film that Jehan lent her voice for the second time, to another actress named Husn Bano. She married Rizvi later the same year. From 1945 to 1947 and her subsequent move to Pakistan, Noor Jehan was one of the biggest film actresses of the Indian Film Industry. Her films: Badi Maa (1945), Zeenat (1945 film), Gaon Ki Gori (1945), Anmol Ghadi (1946), and Jugnu (1947 film) were the top-grossing films of the years 1945 to 1947.

 

Career in Pakistan:

In 1947, Rizvi and Jehan decided to move to Pakistan. They left Bombay and settled in Karachi with their family.

Three years after settling in Pakistan, Jehan starred in her first Pakistani film Chan Wey (1951), opposite Santosh Kumar, which was also her first Pakistani film as a heroine and playback singer. Shaukat Hussain Rizvi and Noor Jehan directed this film together, making Jehan Pakistan’s first female director. It became the highest-grossing film in Pakistan in 1951. Jehan’s second film in Pakistan was Dupatta (1952) which was Produced by Aslam Lodhi, Directed by Sibtain Fazli and assisted by A. H. Rana and as Production Manager. Dupatta turned out to be an even bigger success than Chan Wey (1951).

During 1953 and 1954, Jehan and Rizvi had problems and got divorced due to personal differences. She kept custody of the three children from their marriage. In 1959, she married another film actor, Ejaz Durrani, nine years her junior. Durrani pressured her to give up acting, and her last film as an actress/singer was Ghalib (1961). This contributed to the strengthening of her iconic stature. She gained another audience for herself. Her rendition of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s “Mujh se pehli si mohabbat mere mehboob na maang” is a unique example of tarranum, reciting poetry as a song with superb music of Rasheed Attre in the Pakistani film Qaidi (1962). Jehan last acted in Baaji in 1963, though not in a leading role.

Jehan bade farewell to film acting in 1963 after a career of 33 years (1930–1963). The pressure of being a mother of six children and the demands of being a wife to another fellow film actor, forced her to give up her career. Jehan made 14 films in Pakistan, ten in Urdu and four in Punjabi as a film actress.

 

As Playback Singer:

After quitting acting she took up playback singing. She made her debut exclusively as a playback singer in 1960 with the film Salma. Her first initial playback singing for a Pakistani film was for the 1951 film Chann Wey, for which she was the film director herself. She received many awards, including the Pride of Performance in 1965 by the Pakistani Government. She sang a large number of duets with Ahmed Rushdi, Mehdi Hassan, Masood Rana, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Mujeeb Aalam.

She had an understanding and friendship with many singers of Asia, for example with Alam Lohar and many more. Jehan made great efforts to attend the “Mehfils” (live concerts) of Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Roshan Ara Begum. Lata Mangeshkar commented on Jehan’s vocal range, that Jehan could sing as low and as high as she wanted, and that the quality of her voice always remained the same. Singing was, for Jehan, not effortless but an emotionally and physically draining exercise.  In the 1990s, Jehan also sang for then débutante actresses Neeli and Reema. For this very reason, Sabiha Khanum affectionately called her Sadabahar (evergreen). Her popularity was further boosted with her patriotic songs during the 1965 war between Pakistan and India.

In 1971 Madam Noor Jehan visited Tokyo for the World Song Festival as a representative from Pakistan.

Jehan visited India in 1982 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Indian talkie movies, where she met Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in New Delhi and was received by Dilip Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar in Bombay. She met all her erstwhile heroes and costars, including Surendra, Pran, Suraiya, composer Naushad and others. The website Women on Record stated: “Noor Jehan injected a degree of passion into her singing unmatched by anyone else. But she left for Pakistan”.

In 1991, When Jehan was alive, Vanessa Redgrave invited her to perform at a fundraising event to benefit the children of the Middle East held at Royal Albert Hall London. Lionel Richie, Bob Geldof, Madonna, Boy George, and Duran Duran were some of the performers at the star-studded event which was attended, amongst many others, by thespian John Gielgud, Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter, and Oscar-winning actor Dame Peggy Ashcroft. She has also sung “Saiyan Saadey Naal”, a song of well-known Pakistani folk singer, songwriter and composer Akram Rahi for the film Dam Mast Kalander/Aalmi Gunday.

 

Personal Life:

In 1944, Noor Jehan married Shaukat Hussain Rizvi of Azamgarh, UP, India. In 1948, Shaukat Rizvi decided to migrate to Pakistan, and Noor Jehan moved too, ending her career in India. She next visited India only in 1982. Her marriage to Rizvi ended in 1953 with divorce; the couple had three children, including their singer daughter Zil-e-Huma.

She married Ejaz Durrani in 1959. The second marriage also produced three children but also ended in divorce in 1970. She was also married to actor Yousuf Khan.

She had six children in total from both marriages: Zil-e-Huma, Hina Durrani, Mina Hasan, Nazia Ejaz Khan, Akbar Hussain Rizvi, and Asghar Hussain Rizvi. Despite her busy schedules, fame and stardom, Madam Noor Jehan maintained a balance between her home life and her career.

 

Last Years and Death:

Jehan suffered from chest pains in 1986 on a tour of North America and was diagnosed with angina pectoris after which she underwent bypass surgery. According to her Daughter, Shazia Hassan, she was suffering from Chronic Kidney disease in her last years and was on dialysis. In 2000, Jehan was hospitalised in Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi and suffered a heart attack. On 23 December 2000 (night of 27 Ramadan), Jehan died as a result of heart failure. Her funeral took place at Jamia Masjid Sultan, Karachi and was attended by over 400,000 people. She was buried at the Gizri Graveyard in Karachi. When she died, then President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf said that “She deserves a state funeral”. He ordered her funeral be taken to Lahore from Karachi but her daughters insisted on burying her in Karachi on the night she died. At her death, a famous Indian writer and poet Javed Akhtar in an interview at Mumbai said that “In the worst conditions of our relations with Pakistan in 53 years in a very hostile atmosphere our cultural heritage has been a common bridge. Noor Jehan was one such durable bridge, my fear is that her death may have shaken it”.

 

Awards And Honours:

Noor Jehan received more than 15 Nigar Awards for Best Female Playback Singer, eight for best Urdu Singer Female and the rest for Punjabi playback. She has also been given the award for the Singer Of Millennum.

  • In 1945, for the film Zeenat she was awarded by a gold medal by Z.A Bukhari.
  • Noor Jehan was ranked at eighth position in a list of Most Influential Pakistanis after Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
  • She was a melodious singer of the subcontinent. Mohammad Rafi always wished to make duets with her. Bollywood playback singer Asha Bhosle in an interview said that;

Noor Jehan was one of my favourite singers and when I listened to her Ghazals, I realized how unusual compositions were those, so I decided to take them to a larger audience which they deserve.

She added that;

The world will never see a singer like her. Just as people have not seen another Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar there would never be another Noor Jehan.

  • Eastern Eye ranked Noor Jehan at 16th in a list of 20 Bollywood singers of all time although she had a very short career there before the Partition. The entertainment editor of Eastern Eye said that;

Noor Jehan was the first female singing star of the Indian cinema and helped to lay the foundation of playback singing as we know it. She inspired a generation of singers including Lata Mangeshkar before single-handedly kick-starting music In Pakistan and inspired subsequent generations there.

  • In 1945, she became the first Asian woman to sing Qawali in the film Zeenat. American Queen of Pop Madonna Louise Ciccone said that, “I can copy every singer but not Noor Jehan”.
  • In 1957, she received President’s Award for her acting and singing in film Intezar. It was the same film for which Khwaja Khurshid Anwar also received President’s Award for Best Music Director.
  • In 1965, she received Special Nigar Award for her wartime songs.
  • In 1965, she was awarded Pride of Performance by the President of Pakistan for her singing and acting capabilities.
  • She became the Second Pakistani Female Vocalist after Roshan Ara Begum to receive Pride of Performance.
  • In 1965, she received Tamgha-e-Imtiaz from the army for her moral support in the Indo-Pak war.
  • She was the only Pakistani singer to sing with the Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum.
  • In 1981, she received Special Nigar Award for her excellence in 30 years of her career in Pakistan.
  • In 1987, she received NTM Life Time Achievement Award.
  • In 1991, she became the first Pakistani singer to sing at the Royal Albert Hall London.
  • In 1996,she received Sitara-e-Imtiaz.
  • In 1999, she received Millennium Award for her services to Pakistani Cinema.
  • In January 2000, Pakistan Television PTV gave her the title of Voice of Century.
  • In 2002, she received First Lux Life Time Achievement Award.
  • In August 2014, she was declared as the Greatest Female Singer Of Pakistan of all times.
  • In August 2017, she was ranked at the top of Female Pakistani Singers.
  • She also retained the designation Cultural Ambassador of Pakistan
  • On 21 September 2017, Google Doodle commemorated her 91st birthday.

Jahangir Khan

Biography

Image Credit Source – Facebook

Jahangir Khan – 10 December 1963 :

Jahangir Khan is a former World No. 1 professional Pakistani squash player. He won the World Open six times, and the British Open ten consecutive times (1982-1991). He also won 555 consecutive matches, one of the longest winning streaks ever by any top athlete in any sports. Jahangir Khan is widely regarded as the greatest squash player of all time.

 

Biography:
RACKET: UNSQUASHABLE JAHANGIR KHAN 555PRO
NATIONALITY:   Pakistan 
HIGHEST PSA RANKING:  1
PSA TITLES:    61
BIRTHPLACE: Karachi, Pakistan 
RESIDENCE: Karachi, Pakistan

 

 

Jahangir Khan is a man whose name is synonymous with squash. A man universally recognised as the world’s greatest ever player and an athlete who transcended his sport to be acknowledged as world’s greatest ever sportsman. A man who set the bar so high, precious few others have come close, never mind surpass his achievements.

Through courage, determination and personal sacrifice, Jahangir Khan overcame personal tragedy to dominate and ultimately transcend the world’s most physically demanding sport.

Jahangir Khan was born in Karachi, Pakistan on the 10th December 1963 and is considered to be the greatest player in the history of squash.

During his distinguished career, Jahangir was ranked World No.1 and won the World Open six times and the British Open a record ten times.

From 1981 to 1986, Jahangir was unbeaten and during that time won 555 consecutive matches – the longest winning streak by any athlete in top-level professional sport as recorded by Guinness World Records.

Jahangir retired from the Men’s Professional World Tour 1993 and served as President of the World Squash Federation (WSF) from 2002 to 2008 when he became Emeritus President.

Jahangir was coached initially by his father Roshan and then by his late brother Torsam and cousin Rahmat who would go on to coach Jahangir throughout his record breaking career.

As a child Jahangir was physically very weak and despite doctors advising him not to take part in any sort of physical activity his father encouraged him to play their family game following two hernia operations.

After missing out on selection for the Pakistan team for the 1979 World Championships in Australia, Jahangir entered the World Amateur Individual Championship and at 15 years-of-age became the youngest ever winner of the prestigious championship.

In November 1979, Jahangir’s older brother Torsam died suddenly of a heart attack during a tournament match in Australia. Torsam’s death affected Jahangir greatly and led to him considering quitting the game before pursuing a career in the sport as a tribute to his brother.

In 1981, Jahangir became the youngest winner of the World Open at the age of 17 when he beat the then World No.1 Geoff Hunt Australia in the final. That championship marked the start of an unbeaten run which lasted for five years and 555 matches.

Jahangir was distinguished for his incredible fitness and stamina which Rahmat Khan helped him develop through a punishing training and conditioning regime. Jahangir was widely regarded as the fittest player in the sport.

In 1982, Jahangir astounded everyone when he won the final of an International Squash Players Association (ISPA) Championship without losing a single point.

Jahangir’s unbeaten run finally came to end in the final of the 1986 World Open in France when he lost to Ross Norman of New Zealand. Norman had been chasing Jahangir’s unbeaten streak after being beaten time and time again and was famously quoted “One day Jahangir will be slightly off his game and I will get him”.

Speaking about his unbeaten sequence of 555 consecutive matches, Jahangir said: “It wasn’t my plan to create such a record. All I did was put in the effort to win every match I played and it went on for weeks, months and years until my defeat to Ross Norman in Toulouse in 1986.”

“The pressure began to mount as I kept winning every time and people were anxious to see if I could be beaten. In that World Open final, Ross got me. It was exactly five years and eight months. I was unbeaten for another nine months after that defeat.”

At the end of 1986, compatriot Jansher Khan challenged Jahangir’s domination. Jahangir won their first few encounters in late 1986 and early 1987, but Jansher finally scored his first win over Jahangir in September 1987 with a straight games victory in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open.

Jansher then went on to beat Jahangir in their next eight consecutive encounters, including capturing the 1987 World Open title.

Jahangir managed to end Jansher’s winning streak over him in March 1988 and went on to win 11 of their next 15 meetings. The pair met in the 1988 World Open final with Jahangir emerging the victor. By that point it had become clear that squash now had two dominant players and the pair would continue to dominate the sport for the rest of the decade.

Jahangir and Jansher met a total of 37 times in professional competition with Jansher winning 19 matches and Jahangir taking 18 matches.

Jahangir did not win the World Open after 1988 but was able to maintain a stranglehold over the prestigious British Open title which he won a record ten successive times between 1982 and 1991.

Jahangir retired from the Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour in 1993 after helping Pakistan win the World Team Championship in Karachi. He was honoured by the Government of Pakistan with the awards of Pride of Performance and civil award of Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Crescent of Distinction) for his achievements in squash. Jahangir was also named Sportsman of the Millennium in Pakistan.

“Hashim Khan, Jahangir Khan, and Jansher Khan are the best squash players the world has ever known with Jahangir the best of the three. If Hollywood only knew his story of tragedy, grit and determination it would make another movie like Chariots of Fire. Many of those who know him consider him the best athlete who ever lived,” said former President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf.

In 1990, Jahangir was elected Chairman of the Professional Squash Association (PSA) and in 1997 Vice-President of the Pakistan Squash Federation. Jahangir was elected as Vice-President of the World Squash Federation (WSF) in November 1998 and in October 2002 was elected WSF President. In 2004, Jahangir was again unanimously re-elected as President of the WSF at the International Federation’s 33rd Annual General Meeting in Casa Noyale, Mauritius.

Jahangir Khan was presented with an honorary Doctorate of Philosophy by London Metropolitan University for his contributions to the sport.

As a result of his complete dominance in squash he was nicknamed “The Conqueror” (a loose translation of his first name).

 

Early life:

Khan was born into Pashtun family from Neway Kelay Payan, Peshawar. During his career he won the World Open six times and the British Open a record ten consecutive times. He retired as a player in 1993, and has served as President of the World Squash Federation from 2002 to 2008. Later in 2008, he became Emeritus President of the World Squash Federation.

He is the son of Roshan Khan, brother of Torsam Khan and a cousin of both Rehmat Khan and British singer Natasha Khan (better known as Bat for Lashes.

He currently lives in Karachi, Pakistan with his wife Rubina (m.1995) and their two children.

 

Career:

Khan was coached initially by his father Roshan, the 1957 British Open champion, then by his brother Torsam. After his brother’s sudden death he was coached by his cousin Rehmat, who guided Khan through most of his career. In 1979, the Pakistan selectors decided not to select Khan to play in the world championships in Australia but he entered the World Amateur Individual Championship, at the age of 15, and became the youngest-ever winner of that event. In November 1979, Torsam Khan, who had been one of the leading international squash players in the 1970s, died suddenly of a heart attack during Australian Open match in Adelaide Australia. Torsam’s death profoundly affected Khan. He considered quitting the game, but decided to pursue a career in the sport as a tribute to his brother.

He retired as a player in 1993, and has served as President of the World Squash Federation from 2002 to 2008, later became Emeritus President.

 

Honors and Awards:
  • 1981 – At age 17 became the youngest winner of the World Open, beating Australia’s Geoff Hunt in final.
  • 1984 – Featured on a Government of Pakistan issued postage stamp.
  • 1999 – Sport and Youth Award by French Government
  • 2005 – Times Award – Time Magazine named Khan as one of Asia’s Heroes in the last 60 years.
  • 2007 – Awarded an honorary degree of Doctorate of Philosophy by London Metropolitan University.
  • 2017 – Featured on a Government of Japan issued commemorative stamp
  • 2018 – Winner of the 8th Asian Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sport

 

Philanthropy:

In 2018, Khan became global President of Shahid Afridi Foundation (SAF) in a ceremony held at Japan. SAF was founded by former cricketer Shahid Afridi which aims to provide healthcare and education facilities in Pakistan.