ISLAMABAD: 2021 was another year of the pandemic and another year of tremendous loss.
From titans of arts, sports and science, here is a roundup of some of the deaths of Pakistanis who have helped shape our world in the last many decades.
Nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan (1 April 1936 – 10 October 2021)
Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan. (AP)
Pakistani nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, revered in Pakistan as the father of its atomic bomb but known around the world for a nuclear proliferation scandal, passed away in Islamabad on October 10, aged 85.
In January 2004, he was subjected to a debriefing by the government of then military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf over evidence of nuclear proliferation handed to Pakistan by the United States. After Musharraf stepped down and a new government came to power in Pakistan in 2008, Khan gave a series of media interviews in which he recanted his 2004 confession, saying he only took the blame in return for assurances from Musharraf.
Dramatist Haseena Moin (20 November 1941 – 26 March 2021)
Haseena Moin. (Photo courtesy: Social Media)
Haseena Moin is widely considered one of the best Pakistani dramatists, playwrights and scriptwriters of all time, with a decades-long career writing for stage, radio and television. She was the recipient of the Pride of Performance award for her services to the performing arts in Pakistan. She wrote Pakistan's first original script, Kiran Kahani, which aired in the early-1970s. Before this, state-run Pakistan Television Corporation relied on novel-based scripts for dramas.
Some of the most popular dramas Moin wrote include Ankahi, Tanhaiyaan, Kiran Kahani, Dhoop Kinaray, Aahat, Uncle Urfi, Shehzori, Kohar, Des Pardes, Pal Do Pal, Aansoo, Kasak, Parchaiyan and Parosi. Other notable works include Mere Dard ko Jo Zuban Milay, Kaisa Yeh Junoon, Dhundle Raaste, Shayad ke Bahar Aaye, Mohim Joo, Tum Se Mil Kar, Bandish and Zer Zabar Paish.
She passed away this year on March 26 at age 79.
PTV's first female announcer Kanwal Naseer (January 23, 1943 – 25 March 2021)
Kanwal Naseer. (Photo courtesy: Social Media)
Kanwal Naseer was a Pakistani journalist at the Pakistan Television Network, who had the honor of being Pakistan's first female news presenter and anchor. She made her first appearance on PTV on November 26, 1964.
Naseer made her media debut at the age of 6 or 7 on radio and went on to work for state-run Pakistan Television Corporation for nearly 50 years. In 2015, she was awarded the Pride of Performance by the president of Pakistan. She died on March 25, 2021 in Islamabad, Pakistan after a brief illness. She was 78.
Veteran journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai (10 September 1954 – 9 September 2021)
Rahimullah Yusufzai. (Photo courtesy: Social Media)
Rahimullah Yusufzai was a Pakistani journalist and political and security analyst, best known for having interviewed Osama bin Laden, and Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar. He was a war correspondent with decades of experience reporting on the Soviet War and the war on terror. He was the editor of the Jang Group's The News International at the Peshawar Bureau and was an op-ed writer for the monthly Newsline. He also served as a correspondent in Pakistan for Time magazine and a correspondent of BBC's Pashto and Urdu services.
He passed away on September 9 from cancer at age 66.
Comedian Umar Sharif (19 April 1960 – 2 October 2021)
Umar Sharif. (Photo courtesy: Social Media)
Umer Shareef, was a Pakistani actor, comedian, director, producer, and television personality. He is widely considered one of the greatest comedians in South Asia. Popular Indian comedians like Johnny Lever hailed him as "The God Of Asian Comedy.”
He died on October 2, aged 61.
Olympian hockey player Naveed Alam (16 September 1973 – 13 July 2021)
Naveed Alam. (Photo courtesy: Social Media)
Naveed Alam was a Pakistani field hockey player who competed in the men's tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics and was an integral part of the Pakistan Hockey team that won the World Cup in Sydney in 1994. He also represented Pakistan in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
On July 7, 2021, it was reported that Alam had been diagnosed with blood cancer. He sought financial support from the government for treatment. He died on July 13, 2021, aged 47.
Drummer Farhad Humayun (5 October 1978 – 8 June 2021)
Farhad Humayun. (Photo courtesy: Social Media)
Farhad Humayun was a Pakistani singer, drummer, record producer and video artist. He was popularly associated with the Pakistani drum jam band Overload, which he founded in 2003.
Humayun started his career as an underground musician and formed two bands Co-Ven and Mindriot as a drummer. Humayun received many awards and accolades for his work. He was also the owner of Riot Studios, a recording studio and music performance venue in Lahore. He passed away on June 8, aged 42, after a long battle with brain cancer.
Sufi dhol player Pappu Sain
Pappu Sain. (Photo courtesy: Social Media)
Pappu Sain was a sufi dhol player who was best known for his Thursday evening performances at the Tomb of Shah Jamal in the Pakistani city of Lahore. His band was known as Qalandar bass and comprised his son Qalandar Baksh and others. Sain earned mainstream recognition in Pakistan following his stint with the band Overload.
The musician had been battling liver cancer, due to which he had been shifted to the ICU at a Lahore hospital, where he passed away on November 7.
