Pakistan music: Top Ten Tabla Nawaz of Pakistan

The name of Mian Qadir Baksh tops the list of the big names of tabla players in Pakistan. He is known throughout the world for his skill and mastery of tabla. He was the head of the Punjab Gharana and a teacher of many tabla nawaz who gained international recognition.

After the death of Mian Qadir Baksh his adopted son Khalifa Akhtar Hussain Khan who was also his nephew vowed to continue this art. Akhtar Hussain Khan was the last khalifa or head of the Punjab gharana.

Ustad Altaf Hussain alias Tafo was one of the most revered names in the world of classical music. Belonging to the Punjab gharana he mastered the “ten finger style” created by the Guru of the art of tabla playing Ustad Ghulam Hussain Khan Jullandhari.

Ustad Bashir Hussain Goga and Ustad Bashir Khan are two other talented tabla nawaz from Pakistan belonging to the Punjab gharana.

Ustad Shaukat Hussain Khan belonged to the Delhi and Punjab gharana and has given many memorable solo performances and has with other musicians as well.

Ustad Faryad Hussain “Bhulli” Khan also adopted the Punjab gharana style of playing. He taught the art of tabla playing to many aspiring students.

Ustad Abdul Sattar “Tari” Khan is known as the Prince of Tabla of Pakistan. He is a disciple of Ustad Shaukat Hussain.

Ustad Younas Khan Joona is known as the legend of tabla in Pakistan. He was known and respected in the music circles of Lahore where classical music was played and understood.

Kamran Serosh is one of the emerging tabla nawaz of Pakistan. Hailing from Lahore, he is the student of Ustad Faryad Hussain Khan.

Art in Pakistan: Top Ten Artists of Pakistan

Shakir Ali is known as one of the pioneers of contemporary art in the sub-continent. Born in the pre partition era; he went to Europe and stayed in the cities which were known as the cradle of art. He studied under well known artists and returned to Pakistan in 1951. He joined the Mayo School of Art (National College of Arts) and later took over as the principal. An introvert at heart, his sentiments is depicted in his paintings. His style influenced many artists and his students included some great names of his time.

Zahoor-ul-Akhlaq was another revered Pakistani artist who brought honor to the country. His style is defined as modern but with roots deeply etched in the traditional styles. He was a calligrapher, a teacher at the NCA and a visiting professor in some universities of the world. His work was exhibited the world over and he inspired and influenced many artists of his time and those who came later.

Zubeida Agha was also one of the pioneers of modern art in Pakistan. Blessed with rich imagination and a unique style of painting she generously used colors to express her feelings and observations on the canvas. Agha received her training in Pakistan and abroad and holds the distinction of being the first artist to have her exhibition of modern art.

Bashir Mirza a painter par excellence was often in the limelight for his bold paintings. The theme of his paintings varied as did his style. His Lonely Girl series shook the world of art; on one hand he was criticized for his brashness then on the other hand he was praised for his bold attempt.

Another big name in the world of painting in Pakistan is Anna Molka Ahmed. A pioneer of fine arts and a professor of fine arts in the University of Punjab, Ana Molka’s style is heavily inspired by French Impressionism.

 

Art in Pakistan: Top Ten Painters of Pakistan

Pakistan is the land of creative people. There are many artists in Pakistan whose paintings have made them famous internationally and have earned them a prestigious place in the world of art.

Abdul Rehman Chughtai (1894-1975) developed his own Chughtai style on the pattern of Persian and Mongol Traditional Style. His work is exhibited in many prominent places in the world including royal palaces and his admirers included the great artist Pablo Picasso himself. Apart from his beautiful watercolor masterpieces, Chughtai is also known for the creative set of stamps he painted in 1951 and his publication Murraqa-e-Chughtai in which he has artistically illustrated the sensitive yet strong verses of Ghalib.

Ahmed Pervaiz is another great painter from Pakistan. This modernist painter from Rawalpindi is well known in the world of art. His work was exhibited and highly appreciated by art lovers in the UK and other European countries and in the USA as well. Ahmed Pervaiz started his journey with water colors and towards the end of the journey he had progressed to oil paints.

Sadequain was a genius, a cult figure in the history of Pakistani art. He is famous for his murals and calligraphy. In fact he brought the art of calligraphy into the mainstream of art. His subject was the common man and his struggle which is prominent in his works.

Laila Shahzada is the first Pakistani female artist who captured international attention and has the distinction of being the first ever Pakistani to be honored with the “Keys of New York City”. Her works have been exhibited in major cities of the world.

Also known as the Imam of Art, Ali Imam was a prolific artist who spent his life in promoting art and artists in Pakistan both as an artist and as a teacher. He belonged to the first generation of artists of Pakistan and his unique style was admired and envied by many.

Pride of Pakistan: Top Lawyers of Pakistan

Nobody can deny the contributions of lawyers in Pakistan. The founder of Pakistan Mohammed Ali Jinnah was a lawyer as was Allama Iqbal who gave the concept of Pakistan. Lawyers made many sacrifices to uphold the judiciary in the country. Some prominent lawyers of Pakistan are:

Aitzaz Ahsan is a Pakistani lawyer and a politician who also served as an MNA, MPA, Senator and a Federal Minister. He is a PPP loyalist and has been the front runner in supporting democracy during the martial law regimes. He was sent to prison several times but that did not discourage him. Aitzaz Ahsan was voted as one of the top ten public intellects in the world.

Fakhruddin.G. Ibrahim is a noted Pakistani lawyer who has held several important positions in Pakistani government. Retired as a Justice, Ibrahim set up the CPLC (Citizen Police Liaison Committee) in Karachi to help people who complained of the apathy and non-cooperative attitude of the police. With the help of the police department CPLC has solved many cases successfully.

Ghulam Farooq Awan is a famous Pakistani lawyer and is currently serving as an adviser to the Prime Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig is a famous Pakistani lawyer of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He is a close associate of Chief Justice Chaudary Iftikhar Ahmed and has played a big role in the lawyers’ movement which resisted the orders of Pervez Musharaf. It was due to his fiery leadership that Musharaf government was forced to release the detained Chief Justice and take back orders which deposed off many lawyers.

Rana Bhagwandas is the second non-muslim to hold the position of Chief Justice in Pakistan. He retired as a justice and is highly respected for his stand against the injustices committed on the underprivileged and the minorities. He took strong notice of the killings committed in the name of honor in rural areas.

Pride of Pakistan: Top Human Rights Activists of Pakistan

Asma Jahangir is a lawyer by profession and woman of substance, a true warrior and a true advocate of the poor and the oppressed. She has relentlessly worked for the rights of minorities, women and children in Pakistan. Undaunted she has raised her voice against the atrocities committed on women, children and minorities and as a consequence has been attacked and manhandled by the police and people in power. Her services and her spirit have been acknowledged both locally and internationally and as long as people like her exist in Pakistan, there is hope that justice will prevail.

Ansar Burney is another human rights activist from Pakistan who has proved that the service of humans knows no boundaries. Throughout his thirty years of service as a human rights activist he has freed scores of people languishing in jails for no reason. He was the first one to raise his voice against child labor and bring the misery of the camel kids to limelight. Ansar Burney helps people irrespective of their religion, caste, creed and even nationality. Recently he arranged the safe release of the crew members of MV Suez from Somali pirates. The crew comprised of Indians, Egyptians, Pakistanis and a Sri Lankan.

Zia Ahmed Awan is a ray of hope for scores of women and children whose rights have been usurped by the custodians of the society. Child labor, child abuse and domestic violence are on the rise even in this day and age. Zia Ahmed Awan has set up LHRLA (Lawyers of Human Rights and Legal Aid) a non-government organization committed to help children who are sexually abused and women who suffer from domestic violence or any form of violence. People facing exploitation and harassment can also seek help. This organization helps people irrespective of their religion and status.

Music and culture in Pakistan: Top Five Sarangi Nawaz of Pakistan

Sarangi is a stringed instrument of the Indian sub-continent. It is one of the most difficult instruments to play and fortunately Pakistan has some specialist sarangi players. The greatest Pakistani sarangi player of all times was Ustad Allah Rakha.

Ustad Allah Rakha was born in pre partition India and learned the art of sarangi playing from some of the big names of that time. He was associated with the Radio Pakistan Lahore and Rawalpindi. He gave performances in many countries of the world. Ustad Allah Rakha devoted his life to classical music and he also received the Pride of the Performance Award for the services rendered.

Ustad Ghulam Hussain Shaggan is one of the finest Pakistani sarangi players. He was acclaimed as a legend in the world of classical music and his long lustrous career is full of many awards, titles and acknowledgements he received from millions of admirers. The government of Pakistan honored him with the Sitara-e-Imtiaz and the Pride of Performance award.

People tuned to the Radio Pakistan Karachi to especially listen to the sweet notes played by the sarangi maestro Ustad Natho Khan. Ustad Nathoo loved music would be an understatement as he lived and breathed music. Ustad Nathoo played this complex instrument effortlessly and enthralled the audience whenever he tugged the strings.

Another noted Pakistani sarangi player from Karachi is Muhammad Hussain. He learned the art of sarangi playing from Ustad Ashiq Ali and Ustad Jeeroo Khan. He was associated with Radio Pakistan Multan for thirty years and later came to Karachi where he was employed by the National Academy of Performing Arts.

Akhtar Hussain Khan is a fascinating Pakistani sarangi player of the present generation who has won accolades from music lovers for his performances. He has done solo performances also plays with other musicians as well.

Pride of Pakistan: Top doctors of Pakistan

Dr. Nafis Sadik is the Pride of Pakistan. A graduate from Dow Medical College she did her internship in gynecology and obstetrics from America and after earning Fellowship from Canada she returned to Pakistan where she served as a civilian doctor in military hospitals. While working here she witnessed the plight of women and the burden of pregnancies on them. She then resolved to alleviate it by educating women in particular and masses in general about family planning. She has rendered her services in many parts of the world where death rates during child birth where high. In recognition to her services she has been conferred with many awards. She is also the first woman ever to hold the office of Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) with the rank of Under-Secretary-General, from 1987 to 2000.

Dr. Rehana Mohammed Ali Shah has the distinction of being the first ever Pakistani female orthopedic surgeon. She graduated from Dow Medical College and got her FRCS degree from Scotland. To date she has performed over 5000 surgeries.

Dr Adeeb Rizvi is a Pakistani doctor and a philanthropist who has worked untiringly to help the suffering humanity. He set up SIUT (Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplant) the largest charitable organ transplant institute. Funded by the public this institute provides free treatment to the people suffering from renal problems from every nook and corner of the country.

A graduate from Dow Medical College, Dr. Sohail Ansari is an active member of the National Health Services and Consultant Physician in the U.K. He is the President of Pakistan Essex Doctors Association and has done a lot to help the doctors from Pakistan.

Music in Pakistan: Top Five Guitarists of Pakistan

Faraz Anwar is a rock guitarist of Pakistan. He currently tops the list of the talented guitarists of Pakistan. Faraz made his presence known to all by winning Pakistan’s national music competition. By the age of fourteen he was a full fledge guitarists with the ability of setting the stage ablaze with his fiery music. Allan Holdsworth the owner of Gnarly Geezer Records launched Faraz’s album “Abstract Point of View” in 2001 and considers him the “Guitar Guru ofAsia”. Faraz was also associated with the band “Mizrrab”.

Amir Zaki is an accomplished and most popular guitarist of Pakistan. He started playing guitar from the age of 14. Aamir rose to fame in the 90s and was also associated with Vital Signs for a short time. However his real claim to fame was his album Signature; the song Mera Pyar which he composed and sang is still popular. Aamir is truly creative and a genius who though believed in his music but never believed in himself. Whatever work he has done so far both nationally and internationally has won him accolades.

Asad Ahmed is another gifted guitarist who has played for the leading Pakistani bands , singers and has given solo performances too. At present he is associated with the band Karavan and plays on Coke Studios.

Mekaal Hasan is another prolific songwriter-composer and guitarist ofPakistan. Inspired heavily by Sufism; Meekal Hasan and his band currently rule the Pakistani music scene. Meekal Hasan has worked in collaboration with international stars such as Pete Lockette and Billy Cobham etc.

Shallum Asher Xavier is one of the best guitarists inPakistan. He has played with several bands and singers and has been awarded as the “Best Guitarist” for two years in a row.

 

Pakistan through the decades: List of Chief Justice of Pakistan

A justice system is as important for the society as the creation of society itself. It implies ensuring that each and every member of the society is getting his rights without any external pressure or threats. For the creation of a just society, it is essential that a justice system is developed on equality basis for the countrymen. The justice system of Pakistan is headed by the Supreme Court the office of which is controlled by the Chief Justice. Pakistan has had twenty-two Chief Justices who have taken charge of the office during their tenure. The first Chief Justice of Pakistan was Justice Abdur Rashid who remained in the office from 1949 till 1954. The current Chief Justice is Iftikhar M. Chaudhry who took charge of office in the year 2009. Given below is the list of Chief Justices of Pakistan who are twenty-two in number:

1)      Sir Abdur Rashid

2)      Muhammad Munir

3)      Muhammad Shahabuddin

4)      A. R. Cornelius

5)      Dr. S. A. Rahman

6)      Fazal Akbar

7)      Hamoodur Rahman

8)      Muhammad Yaqub Ali

9)      Shaikh Anwarul Haq

10)   Muhammad Haleem

11)   Muhammad Afzal Zullah

12)   Dr. Nasim Hasan Shah

13)   Sajjad Ali Shah

14)   Ajmal Mian

15)   Saeed -uz- Zaman Siddiqui

16)   Irshad Hasan Khan

17)   Bashir Jehangiri

18)   Sheikh Riaz Ahmad

19)   Nazim Hussain Siddique

20)  Abdul Hameed Dogar

21)

Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry

 

Pakistan through the decades: Profile of main Pakistani Airlines

The history of Pakistani Airlines started with the merging of Orient Airways with international airlines cooperation of Pakistan. At that time Pakistan International Airlines was the only operator that provided travelling facilities to passengers. Meanwhile private airlines emerged and started their services in Pakistan. However, currently there exist only three main Pakistani airlines which include PIA, Air Blue and Shaheen Air.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), only airline owned by the Government of Pakistan, provides its travelling facilities to 42 international destinations and 27 domestic flights are operated by it. It has an employment rate of 18,043 according to the survey (2008). The main bases of PIA lay in three big cities of Pakistan namely Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad.

Air blue is the privately owned Pakistani airline which is the second largest domestic airline of Pakistan. It provides its services to five international destinations and four domestic places. Besides, another main Pakistani airline is Shaheen Air that is the private-based cooperation. Like Air Blue, it operates among main cities of Pakistan and schedules international flights to five or six destinations. The main base of both of these privately owned airlines exist at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.

In addition to the currently serving airlines described above, there were few others that do not serve anymore due to some reasons. They include Aero Asia International, Pearl Air, Pakistan Airways and some others. Some of them closed their services long time ago and some had been suspended prior to poor management issues.

 

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