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KARACHI: Musadiq Sanwal, the editor of Dawn.com, passed away on Friday after battling with lung cancer for more than a year.
Born in 1962, Sanwal will be remembered for his dedication to journalism, his closeness to his colleagues and love for the arts, most importantly music which he learnt in his younger years and performed regularly.
He studied from the National College of Arts (NCA) in the 1980s and was also trained as a singer and made regular appearances at music conferences and concerts in his youth.
Sanwal moved to Karachi in the late 1980s and shared his residence with author Mohammed Hanif for many years before both went to work at the BBC in London.
He returned to Pakistan in the mid-2000s to Dawn along with former Dawn newspaper editor Abbas Nasir.
“Musadiq was a journalist, writer and a hugely-talented man with untold amounts of creativity. He was an extremely supportive husband and doting father. A generous friend who came from (Multan) the land of the saints and embodied many of their values, traits but was human with his share of shortcomings too,” said Nasir.
“Most of all, he infected anyone he met with his passion for music. He represented laughter and a zest for life, even life itself.”
Sanwal was diagnosed with cancer over a year ago, following which he underwent strenuous procedures to combat the disease. His fight ended Friday morning when he breathed his last.
His funeral prayers were held in Karachi before his body was flown to his native town Multan for burial.
He is survived by his wife and two children.
What colleagues and friends have to say
that's when we met first, sometime in 1984. Musadiq Sanwal was part of the student group that later became Rahs-Sujag pic.twitter.com/QiLub8v5vp
— Tahir Mehdi (@TahirMehdiZ) January 17, 2014'Saanwal yaaar chala gaya'... The song is ended, but the melody lingers on... RIP Musadiq Sanwal http://t.co/trrjEsmSEO
— Zeeshan Haider (@ZesHPirzadA) January 17, 2014Dear friend, wonderful human being, dreamer of dreams, Musadiq Sanwal is no more. Thank you for all the memories and the music. RIP
— Talat Aslam (@titojourno) January 17, 2014we will reunite the day, red flowers will blossom on branches
Musadiq, injured in a Jamiat attack was on a NCA poster pic.twitter.com/YhH9ij9hLX
— Tahir Mehdi (@TahirMehdiZ) January 17, 2014Very sad news about Musadiq Sanwal. His sense of humour & creativity were a treat at Haroon House. May he be in peace http://t.co/KG2w8hHHwq
— Huma Yusuf (@humayusuf) January 17, 2014Musadiq Sanwal. Gone too soon. pic.twitter.com/GfXs7KGeMC
— Sabeen Mahmud (@sabeen) January 17, 2014An incredibly lovely man no more. @BBCUrdu and @dawn_com journalist Mussadiq Sanwal bade farewell to life today. pic.twitter.com/5DGBttvj1m
— Aamer Ahmed Khan (@Aak0) January 17, 2014Deeply saddened at the death of Musadiq Sanwal Editor of http://t.co/MVUK0yuemv always encouraging, always innovative.
— Rafia Zakaria (@rafiazakaria) January 17, 2014Spent a few days in Hong Kong w Musadiq Sanwal - he sang for the group during a dinner; was transcendental http://t.co/DZhhfjhf8H RIP
— Jahanzaib Haque (@jhaque_) January 17, 2014Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (73) Closed
Jan 17, 2014 11:01am
My Condolences! Dawn.com is a great online daily of the highest quality! Mr. Sanwal's contribution in it has been immense! May his soul rest in peace!
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Jan 17, 2014 11:05am
Musaddiq..... We will miss you... I still have the takhti you brought for my daughter...
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Jan 17, 2014 11:06am
May his soul rest in peace.
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Jan 17, 2014 11:07am
Inna-Lillah-e-Wa-Inna-Alaihi-Rajeyoon
May all bless his soul and rest him in peace
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Jan 17, 2014 11:09am
This is really sad and shocking news. I interned at Dawn.com 3 years ago and this guy always seemed so cheerful and accommodating. What a sad loss!
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Jan 17, 2014 11:21am
May Allah rest his soul in peace and give courage to the bereaved family to bear the loss. Ameen
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Jan 17, 2014 11:24am
I am so sorry about his sudden death we spoke on telephone few times, I will miss you and may Allah bless his family if there is anything i can do for family let me know-god bless his family regards
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Jan 17, 2014 11:36am
So sad - Hope the family can find courage to face this tough time ...
Sharyar
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Jan 17, 2014 11:37am
RIP - Dawn the best and the most unbiased news paper in South Asia and the world ...
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Jan 17, 2014 11:45am
May Allah rest his soul in eternal peace Ameen
he was A progressive and neutral journalist
My deep condolences to his Family and Dawn.com.
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Jan 17, 2014 11:47am
Shocked and extremely saddened. What a huge loss! He was such a talented, multi-faceted man. Will miss him very much!
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Jan 17, 2014 11:52am
Musadiq, you were very kind and supportive. Your memory shall never escape my thoughts. It is indeed a very sad loss. RIP dear friend.
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Jan 17, 2014 11:57am
??????? ???? ???? ??????
May his soul rest in eternal peace. My sincere condolences to the establishment of Dawn and the bereaved family on this great loss at a relatively young age.
Dr Ghulam Nabi Kazi, WHO Pakistan, Islamabad
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Jan 17, 2014 11:58am
**Inna lillah-e-wa-inna-Alaihi Rajeyoon**
My Condolences to DAWN.com and the DAWN Media Group
May Allah bless his soul and rest him in peace
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Jan 17, 2014 12:02pm
A very sad news. May Mr Sanwal's soul rest in peace. My deepest sympathies to his family.
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Jan 17, 2014 12:05pm
My deepest condolences to family and the Dawn. Keep up the good work Dawn.
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Jan 17, 2014 12:07pm
Very sorry to hear that. My sincere condolences to bereaved family. 50 is no age at all. RIP
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Jan 17, 2014 12:18pm
How sad. A great man is lost. May he rest in peace.
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Jan 17, 2014 12:22pm
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. Sad to know it.
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Jan 17, 2014 01:19pm
My sincere and heart-felt condolences to his family. May Allah bless his soul and give him place in heaven !
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Jan 17, 2014 01:21pm
Verily we are for God and toward him we return. May he rest in peace. Condolences to his family. The society remains indebted to journalists who take enormous risks to bring news to public.
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Jan 17, 2014 01:27pm
Our sincere condolences to his family.
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Jan 17, 2014 01:29pm
It was sad to know about Mr. Musadiq Sanwal's passing away. May the almighty give his soul peace and his family strength to fight this calamity. He was indeed an excellent journalist.
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Jan 17, 2014 01:59pm
**strong text** Such sad news. May his soul rest in peace.
My condolences to the family..
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Jan 17, 2014 02:01pm
Regret his early loss
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Jan 17, 2014 02:17pm
My heartfelt condolences on his premature death.
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Jan 17, 2014 02:19pm
My Condolences! Dawn.com is a great online daily of the highest quality! Mr. Sanwal's contribution in it has been immense! May his soul rest in peace!
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Jan 17, 2014 02:19pm
RIP, gentleman!
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Jan 17, 2014 02:22pm
Much worried to know about his sad demise.May his soul rest in eternal peace.
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Jan 17, 2014 02:40pm
May Allah pardon him & rest his soul in peace & give courage to his family to bear the loss.
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Jan 17, 2014 03:04pm
RIP
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Jan 17, 2014 03:13pm
My heartfelt condolences. I was actually searching for him in the facebook, but found no result. Then I searched the Dawn. Surprised and shocked, I found the news of his demise.
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Jan 17, 2014 03:19pm
My heartfelt condolences. We were together in Berlin for the Online Media Management Course. May his soul RIP.
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Jan 17, 2014 03:40pm
Sanwal played a key role in keeping the electronic version of Dawn famous in the sub-continent by balanced reporting and allowing all views to be expressed freely. May his soul rest in peace!
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Jan 17, 2014 03:43pm
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. A person of immense integrity, who believed in & fought for human rights through his words. Very humble. Would never refuse anyone he could help. A rare gem of a person. May he rest in peace. May Allah grant his family sabr & courage to bear their loss.
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Jan 17, 2014 03:46pm
May Allah give him Jannah. May Allah give his family sabr to accept HIS decision with grace and fortitude.
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Jan 17, 2014 03:47pm
May his soul rest in peace!
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Jan 17, 2014 03:51pm
He was a lovely singer of Sindhi folk and also sang other mystical compositions from Pakistan. A beautiful soul too. Will miss Musadiq. (And I liked the man whose name he took.)
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Jan 17, 2014 03:54pm
My condolences.
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Jan 17, 2014 04:20pm
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. My deepest sympathies to his family.
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Jan 17, 2014 04:33pm
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. A very sad news. My deepest sympathies to his family. Your memory shall never escape my thoughts.I will never forget his kind support with me & other colleagues at PILER.He was such a talented, multi-faceted man.
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Jan 17, 2014 04:38pm
Really shocked to learn about the tragic death of my Editor. May All rest his soul in peace. Amin
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Jan 17, 2014 04:51pm
Rest in peace my good friend. I will miss your humour, you laughter and your ability to turn a grey day into a sunny one.
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Jan 17, 2014 05:27pm
RIP. Two years ago we were together at an environment meet in Thailand. How nice it was to be in his company!
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Jan 17, 2014 05:38pm
My sincere condolences to bereaved family
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Jan 17, 2014 06:04pm
Musadiq Sanwal gave me my first job for three months working on the first incarnation of this website. That and the few evenings spent at his house sharing our love of music, our conversations around culture and lore, on how to live life, are all things I will never forget. Rest in peace, my friend and teacher.
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Jan 17, 2014 06:24pm
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. My deepest sympathies to his family. His memory shall never escape my thoughts. It is indeed a very sad loss. I will never forget the days spent with him at PILER. He was such a multi-talented man.
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Jan 17, 2014 06:47pm
A real gem, no wonder why he was needed to report sooner by the Almighty. Rest in peace and may Allah give your family the patience to bear this loss.
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Jan 17, 2014 07:20pm
@Adnan Khan:
I have seen him as moderator on Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan BBC Music evening. I felt him deeply immersed in pleasure while listening "Syan Bina ghar soona". A music lover of a class
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Jan 17, 2014 07:25pm
Feeling sad. Rest in peace, Musadiq.
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Jan 17, 2014 07:26pm
Rest in peace.
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Jan 17, 2014 07:42pm
He gone....we all go.....but he is alive with his work, dedication and humanity God bless his family
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Jan 17, 2014 08:32pm
I am very sad to hear this news. He ran this newspaper in a respected and dignified way.A great loss to Pakistan and humanity.
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Jan 17, 2014 09:27pm
May his soul rest in peace, and may Allah give strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss. Amen
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Jan 17, 2014 09:35pm
Musadiq Sanwal was a lovely and gracious man. We spent many happy hours singing together in the early 1990s, and the songs he shared with me then are still ringing in my memory twenty years later. His generosity, kindness, artistry and virtue knew no bounds. I am very sorry to hear this news.
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Jan 17, 2014 10:14pm
A great friend lost.....went too early. Your love for life, music and your work,your family and your friends and children Dara and Little Surat ... became your strength to survive most painful journey to the inevitable.
Proud to have you as part of my life and memory.
May Allah ba haq e Chahardah Masoomeen (A.S) have mercy on you.
RIP dear departed.
Rashid Sami.
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Jan 17, 2014 10:19pm
Ina Lilah e wa Ina Ilaih e Rajeoon....Indeed, it is big loss both in valued Journalism and Inspiring Individual....Who have captivated robust culture of harmony through art of intellectual Journalism....Salute to his courage as fighting against cancer and lived like a vigil... Always,sanwal will be remembered in glorious word's....
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Jan 17, 2014 10:28pm
Could not recognize Musadiq unless saw the old picture uploaded by Tahir Mehdi and shocked to saw a friend who died which you thought you will go back trace and meet, I was wrong find your friends now and say Hi before you struggle to recognize them. God bless his soul.
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Jan 17, 2014 10:46pm
Rest in Peace, dear Musadiq Sanwal!
Although, I did not know you personally, I do read Dawn.com regularly and now know that you were one of those who made the on-line Dawn interesting.
Sincere condolences to the family from Jalal in Brossard, Canada.
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Jan 17, 2014 11:09pm
Extremely lovely personality
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Jan 17, 2014 11:11pm
Dawn.com has been a breadth of fresh air for so many years. A moderate and tolerant voice from the land of extremism and violence. We will miss you Musadiq and hope your legacy will continue. May God provide comfort to you soul and your friends and relations. My deep sympathies for your wife and children.
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Jan 18, 2014 12:30am
My heart felt condolences to Mr. Sanwal's family. May God comfort his family and his colleagues and friends. I greatly enjoy reading the Dawn almost every day. May his successors continue to hold this newspaper with the same quality and contents as he did.
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Jan 18, 2014 12:59am
Ah... Musadiq... you promised me that you will hang on, live and visit me again and we will do so many things together... I met Musadiq when he came to Karachi and we immediately clicked. We did theater (baang) music, poetry and writing together. He was my mentor and a great friend. We lived together in a small apartment in Karachi for a year in 1988-1989 when Muhammad Hanif joined us. I moved to United States afterwards but we always stayed in touch. This last year when was diagnosed with Cancer, I received a call from him about his condition and my advice. He came here, stayed with me and we went through amazing four months when he received radiation and chemotherapy. He was laughing all the way through this whole process and baffled me, my family, and all the doctors for actually gaining weight during chemo/radiation when everyone on this planet loses weight. We went to site seeing, music concerts, movies, parks, museums, fine dining and parties together before he left for Pakistan after completion of his therapy in June 2013. He responded very well to the treatment. He came back to United States for follow up visits to all the physicians who suggested surgery in light of his excellent response to radiation and chemo. We had a blast of a thanksgiving in November at Shami's house. He left for Pakistan for his surgery in mid December. And now, in less then a month.. this happened. He was always my good friend but during last year he became our family member, my family and friends loved him to death. Go on Musadiq, perhaps to a better place, god speed.. RIP my friend, my buddy, my molvi, meri jaan.. I love you and will always love you .. you will always live in my heart.
Anwar Molani, MD
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Jan 18, 2014 01:35am
Never knew him well, met him once in 2004...Just heard him in a video posted by an ex-colleague! Absolute gem...So sad that I never tried to explore him, will try to collect his songs....May he rest in peace.
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Jan 18, 2014 03:31am
Musadiq......I just found out you were married to my class fellow......you were a classy fellow......the person you would be chatting with always had your full and sincere attention...real classy quality... God Bless You.
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Jan 18, 2014 05:55am
There are so many wonderful things to say about my Musadiq Chachu that it's hard to get them all down into words. He forged a unique connection with every person he spoke to--and he made them feel special and loved in a way that is hard to describe. It is something that can only be felt, and that was felt far and wide by the lives he touched and by the people he changed through his words, his song, his literature, and his quiet musings. He was such a funny man; his every sentence was comical and profound at the same time. He was born an artist and he saw life in art and art in life, and he spread the joy to everyone he knew. He spread that joy at our house, and it was infectious. We listened to his beautiful melodies, readings from his diary on the weekends in the mornings, and hung the art that he gifted us on our walls. We listened to him talk about the world, his newspaper, about the irony that his own body helped grow the despicable thing inside of him that was trying to kill him. Perhaps the worst feeling is that we didn't get to say goodbye, but when I look back, in a way, we did. My mother told him she loved him every time she cooked for him...so much, in fact, that he gained weight where he should have lost it. My father told him he loved him every time he drove him to the hospital, and every time they would sit outside drinking chai, not saying much, but actually saying everything. And my brother, my sister, and I told him we loved him every time we asked him to sing us another haunting song, every time we played with his kids, every time we asked for more stories, or asked to hear poems out of his personal collection. He always encouraged our dreams, never judged, never had a mean word to say. To say that he will be missed is an understatement. He will forever be a part of us because he is part of the reason why we are us today. He has, with his soft voice and chuckle, shaped our thoughts, our actions, and our prayers in a way that will forever make us better, in a way that will forever reflect his generous heart, his open mind, and his profound words. We love you Chachu. The keera is gone...may you rest in peace.
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Jan 18, 2014 09:26am
May his soul rest in peace, and may Allah give strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss. Amen
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Jan 18, 2014 10:54am
a true human being. One can feel fragrance of Indus Valley Civilization ( Multan) from his words and deeds
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Jan 18, 2014 11:43am
@Anwar Molani:
Very emotional, I do not know him, but the way you have expressed your feelings were heart touching, I was in tears. I pray to the almighty Allah SWT, that he grants him a highest place in Jannat and help his friends and family overcome this huge loss.
Ameen.
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Jan 18, 2014 07:16pm
INNA LILLA HAY WA INNA ILLEHEY RAJAYOON.
From Almighty God we come and to HIM we all have to return one day, sooner or later. Successful are only those in this mortal life who have spent their lives in-line with the teachings of the Holy Quran.
May God Almighty accord the departed soul of Musadiq Sanwal Editor of http://Dawn.com with peace and solace in the Jannatual Firdous and grant his bereaved family, friends, peers, associates, classmates, colleagues, fans, community, tribe, neighborhood and clan members the courage and fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. Aameen, Tsum Aameen.
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Jan 18, 2014 08:58pm
@Anwar Molani:
Anwar Bhai, so sorry to hear about your loss. I remember you talking about him so much but I am glad you got to see him in his last few months. Uzma Yunus ( from across the street).
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Jan 19, 2014 12:11pm
Committed and talented person was in the hurry to achieve a lot in a short time. May Allah place him rest.
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Jan 19, 2014 02:33pm
Well every one has to say a lot about him professionally, yet no one knows about certain things personally....Being a member of middle class family he is surely a man, once in 7 generations...the way he molded the face of the family...only a man of his stature and class can do that...He inspired the whole lot of generations and others to follow....they say, an artist is born after 7 generations in a family....Lets keeping fingers crossed to await for another one to follow.....Artists always come from small back grounds from small cities....Musadiq sanwal will be remembered for his sensitivity towards music and arts, he lost an eye during his graduation days for the sake of Art....Hope his death will never go in vain....and Art keeps on flourishing
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