Remembering Pakistanis we lost in 2021, from literary legends to nuclear heroes

The combination of file photos shows famous Pakistanis who passed away in 2021. (Photo courtesy: AP, social media)
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Updated 26 February 2022
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Remembering Pakistanis we lost in 2021, from literary legends to nuclear heroes

  • 2021 was the year Pakistan lost nuclear scientist Dr AQ Khan and legendary dramatists Haseena Moin
  • Journalism lost its best war reporter Rahimullah Yusufzai and first female TV anchor Kanwal Naseer

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.


New Zealand outclass Pakistan to win 4th T20I

Updated 25 April 2024
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New Zealand outclass Pakistan to win 4th T20I

  • Opener Tim Robinson hit a half-century to ensure New Zealand reached 178-7 in 20 overs
  • Pacer William O’ Rourke returned figures of 3-27 to keep Pakistan down to 174-8 in 20 overs

LAHORE: Experienced allrounder Jimmy Neesham kept his cool to defend six off the last ball to clinch a four-run victory for New Zealand on Thursday in the fourth Twenty20 international against Pakistan in Lahore.

Pakistan needed 18 off the last over in their chase of 179 but Neesham came out in flying colors despite being hit for a boundary off the first ball, giving a packed Qaddafi Stadium crowd heartbreaks.

Opener Tim Robinson hit a maiden half century to lift New Zealand to 178-7 in 20 overs before pacer William O’Rourke claimed 3-27 to keep Pakistan down to 174-8.

Returning allrounder Imad Wasim (22 not out) managed to hit the last ball for a single as New Zealand take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the five-match series with the last game on Saturday, also in Lahore.

Pakistan also lost the third match by seven wickets after winning the first by the same margin while the first match was abandoned after just two balls — all three in Rawalpindi.

The defeats are a jolt to a full-strength Pakistan side in their preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in the United States and the West Indies in June.

New Zealand, missing a host of players due to Indian Premier League, injuries and unavailability, can feel elated at their bench strength going into the World Cup.

Pakistan sensed they were in with a chance when Fakhar Zaman, who made 45-ball 61 with three sixes and four boundaries, lifted Pakistan from 79-4 with a 59-run stand for the fifth wicket with Iftikhar Ahmed who made a 20-ball 23.

But O’Rourke, playing only his fourth T20I, dismissed Ahmed to add to his wickets of Babar Azam (five) and Saim Ayub (20) to give New Zealand a boost.

Fellow pacer Ben Sears (2-27) claimed Zaman’s wicket with 33 needed off 14 balls.

Earlier, Robinson batted with aggression.

Robinson’s 36-ball 51 with two sixes and four fours lifted New Zealand — who were sent in to bat — to 93-1 in 10 overs before Abbas Afridi’s career best 3-20 helped Pakistan pull back.

New Zealand started briskly with Robinson and Tom Blundell, who made 28 off 15, putting on 56 for the opening stand in five overs.

But from 94-1 New Zealand lost three wickets, including that of dangerman Mark Chapman for eight, as Pakistan’s fielders held catches to back some good bowling by Abbas.

Dean Foxcroft chipped in with 34 off 26 deliveries and skipper Michael Bracewell added 27 to keep the scoreboard ticking as New Zealand managed 43 in the last five overs.

Pakistan were forced to make five changes as wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and Muhammad Irfan Khan were injured while they rested Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed.
 


Pakistani, US officials discuss ways to enhance bilateral trade and investment

Updated 25 April 2024
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Pakistani, US officials discuss ways to enhance bilateral trade and investment

  • Pakistani, American officials hold inter-sessional meeting under Trade and Investment Framework Agreement 
  • Both sides discussed regulatory practices, digital trade, textiles and investments, says US Embassy in Pakistan

KARACHI: Pakistani and American officials held an inter-sessional meeting under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) on Thursday, with both sides discussing options to enhance bilateral trade and investment, the US Embassy in Islamabad said in a statement. 

TIFA serves as a platform for Pakistan and the US to improve market access, promote bilateral trade and investment, resolve trade disputes, and work on trade-related issues between the two countries. 

Pakistan and the US took part in high-level trade talks in Feb. 2023 when both countries participated in the 9th Pakistan-United States Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting. That meeting took place after seven years. 

As per a statement by Acting US Mission Spokesperson Thomas Montgomery, both sides discussed a “broad range of areas” to enhance bilateral trade and investment on Thursday. 

“The dialogue focused on good regulatory practices, digital trade, the protection of intellectual property, women’s economic empowerment, labor, textiles, investment, and agricultural issues,” Montgomery said. 

He added the discussions also included progress on access for US biotechnology products and beef.

The US official said that the meeting was key for both countries to move forward on shared goals of deepening their economic relationship. 

“The United States has long been Pakistan’s largest export market, with potential for further growth,” he said, adding that the US has been a leading investor in Pakistan for the past 20 years. 

Pakistan’s relationship with Washington has experienced fluctuations over the decades, characterized by periods of close partnership and notable estrangement. 

Despite Islamabad’s recent initiatives to enhance and deepen its ties with Washington, until recently, President Joe Biden’s administration had remained reluctant to engage with Pakistan’s top leadership. 

Ties between the two countries have improved since former prime minister Imran Khan’s government was ousted via a parliamentary vote on Apr. 2022. Khan had accused Washington of colluding with his political rivals to oust him from power via a “foreign conspiracy.” Washington has consistently denied the allegations. 


Pakistan’s defense minister rejects claim ex-PM Khan being pressurized to accept ‘deal’

Updated 25 April 2024
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Pakistan’s defense minister rejects claim ex-PM Khan being pressurized to accept ‘deal’

  • Chairman of Khan’s party this week said cricketer-turned-politician was being kept in jail so he would agree to a “deal” with the government
  • Khan, who has been in jail since August last year after multiple convictions, has vowed not to agree to a “deal” with his political adversaries

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Thursday rejected claims that former prime minister Imran Khan was being pressurized to accept a “deal” and come to the negotiating table with the government. 

Khan, who was prime minister from 2018-2022, remains jailed in multiple cases, including a 14-year jail sentence for him and his wife for the illegal sale of state gifts. Khan fell out with Pakistan’s powerful military after he was ousted from office via a parliamentary vote in Apr. 2022. 

Asif was responding to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan’s interaction with reporters on Tuesday when he said that the way the former prime minister and his wife were being kept in jail, “these are all [forms of] pressure that Khan somehow agrees to a deal.”

Speaking exclusively to Independent Urdu, Asif rejected claims Khan was being pressurized to come to the negotiating table. 

“There is no such thing,” Asif said, claiming that PTI leaders were issuing such statements to stay relevant. “That is why these statements are being issued. There is no truth to them.”

Asif said senior members of the PTI had given statements recently rejecting the possibility of a deal with the government. 

“Now if their leadership is issuing contradictory statements themselves, then what comment do we give on it,” he said. “I think their contradictory statements are validating our point.”

Khan’s multiple convictions mean he is banned from holding public office and ruled the 71-year-old out of general elections earlier this year. Arguably Pakistan’s most popular politician, Khan says all cases against him are motivated to keep him out of politics.


Elephant Madhubala to be shifted to Karachi’s Safari Park in May— state media 

Updated 25 April 2024
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Elephant Madhubala to be shifted to Karachi’s Safari Park in May— state media 

  • Madhubala has been in solitary confinement since April 2023 when her companion, elephant Noor Jehan, died 
  • International animal rights organization warns solitary confinement has taken a toll on Madhubala’s mental health

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani elephant Madhubala, who has been in solitary confinement at Karachi Zoo since last year, will be shifted to Karachi’s Safari Park in May where she will be in the company of two other elephants, state-run media Associated Press of Pakistan reported on Thursday. 

Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants alive in Pakistan, was brought to the South Asian country with three other elephants from Tanzania in 2009. However, has been in solitary confinement at Karachi Zoo since April 2023 after her companion, elephant Noor Jehan passed away from illness. 

International animal rights organization FOUR PAWS, which has been involved in efforts to have Madhubala relocated to Karachi Safari Park, said last week the solitary confinement has taken a strong toll on her mental condition, with boredom being her biggest stressor.

Animal rights activists have long campaigned against the plight of animals in Pakistan, especially elephants, and demanded they be shifted to “species-appropriate” locations such as the Safari Park. 

“According to Zoo administration, the arrangements for the transfer have been completed,” APP said. “Madhubala will join two other elephants, Sonia and Malika after relocation to Safari Park.”

A FOUR PAWS spokesperson said the organization was thrilled to see Madhubala finally getting the treatment she deserves. 

“Her story is a testament to the power of collaboration and the importance of animal welfare,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying by APP. 

FOUR PAWS says the elephant enclosures at Safari Park would have water elements for bathing, skincare and thermoregulation. Enrichments such as hay nets, varying substrates like soil, sand, clay, and sawdust will be provided for Madhubala to dust bathe while the area is secured by elephant-proof fencing. 

Madhubala will be carried from the Karachi Zoo to the Safari Park in a huge transport crate. The elephant is currently being trained to enter and exit the crate by herself and sit inside it. 


‘Politically motivated’: Pakistan rejects US State Department report on rights abuses

Updated 25 April 2024
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‘Politically motivated’: Pakistan rejects US State Department report on rights abuses

  • Annual assessment identified arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances
  • Pakistan government and state agencies deny involvement in missing persons cases, other rights abuses 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday it “categorically” rejected the 2023 country report on human rights practices issued by the US State Department, saying the report was politically motivated, lacking in objective evidence and followed an agenda of “politicization of international human rights.”

The annual human rights assessment released earlier this week identified arbitrary killings, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance, torture and “cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by the government or its agents” in Pakistan last year.

The report also said the government “rarely took credible steps” to identify and punish officials who may have committed rights abuses.

“The contents of the report are unfair, based on inaccurate information and are completely divorced from the ground reality,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement, adding that the assessment used a “domestic social lens to judge human rights in other countries in a politically biased manner.”
 
“This year’s report is once again conspicuous by its lack of objectivity and politicization of the international human rights agenda. It clearly demonstrates double standards thus undermining the international human rights discourse.”

The foreign office said it was “deeply concerning” that a report purported to highlight human rights issues around the world was ignoring or downplaying the “most urgent hotspots of gross human rights violations” like Gaza and Kashmir. It also called on the US demonstrate the “requisite moral courage” to speak the truth about all situations and play a constructive role in supporting international efforts to end human rights violations.

“In line with its constitutional framework and democratic ethos, Pakistan remains steadfast in its commitment to strengthen its own human rights framework, constructively engage to promote international human rights agenda, and uphold fairness and objectivity in the international human rights discourse,” the FO added. 

Political leaders, rights groups and families of victims have long accused the government, the army and intelligence agencies of being behind cases of arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, among other rights abuses. Families say people picked up by security forces on the pretext of fighting militancy or crime often disappear for years, and are sometimes found dead, with no official explanation. Pakistani state agencies deny involvement in such cases. 

On Tuesday, Pakistan’s law minister said the government would reconstitute a committee to address enforced disappearances, hours after the release of the US report.

“Now the work is being initiated on this again on the directives of the prime minister. A committee is going to be reconstituted, there will be parliamentary presence in that committee,” Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said. 

“There is no lack of seriousness on the government’s part to resolve this issue.”