The 73nd birth anniversary of famous Pakistani traditional qawwal Aziz Mian is being observed today.

Born as Abdul Aziz in Delhi in 1942, Aziz Mian remains to this day one of the most popular qawwals of South Asia.

He began learning the art of qawwali at the age of 10 under the tutelage of Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan. He moreover received 16 years of training at the Data Ganj Baksh School of Lahore, obtaining a degree in Urdu literature from the University of Punjab.

He was the only prominent qawwal to write his own lyrics; though, like others, he also performed lyrics written by other song-writers. In addition to his own poetry, Aziz Mian performed poetry by Allama Iqbal, and a number of contemporary Urdu poets.

He is also credited with performing the longest commercially released qawwali, hashr ke roz yeh poochhoonga, which runs to slightly over 115 minutes.

He was also a contemporary of the Sabri brothers.

In 1989, the government of Pakistan awarded him with the Pride of Performance medal.

Aziz Mian died on Dec 6 in the year 2000 from complications following hepatitis. He was laid to rest in Multan.

Opinion

A changed world

A changed world

The phrase ‘security provider’ sounds impressive but there is little clarity on what it means for the country.

Editorial

Unyielding stances
13 May, 2026

Unyielding stances

GLOBAL suffering continues as uncertainty over the fate of the war in the Middle East refuses to dissipate. Market...
Gwadar rising?
13 May, 2026

Gwadar rising?

COULD the Middle East conflict prove to be a boon for the Gwadar port? Islamabad’s push to position Gwadar as a...
Locked in
13 May, 2026

Locked in

THE acquittal of as many as 74 PTI activists by a Peshawar court in a case pertaining to the May 2023 violence is a...
Bannu attack
Updated 12 May, 2026

Bannu attack

The security narrative and strategy of the KP government diverges considerably from the state’s position.
Cotton crisis
12 May, 2026

Cotton crisis

PAKISTAN’S cotton economy is once again facing a crisis that exposes the country’s flawed agricultural and...
Buddhist heritage
12 May, 2026

Buddhist heritage

THE revival of Buddhist chants at the ancient Dharmarajika Stupa in Taxila after nearly 1,500 years is much more ...