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Updated 13 Aug, 2017

Singers from the Christian community have come together to sing a medley of patriotic songs whose video was released online last week.

The medley, titled ‘Hum Sab Ka Pakistan’, comprises three classic patriotic songs, including Mehdi Hasan’s ‘Yeh watan tumhara hay’, ‘Hum zinda qaum hain’ that originally featured Amjad Hussain, Tehseen Javed, Benjamin Sisters and Fatima Jaffri, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s 1999 hit ‘Mera paigham Pakistan’.

Facebook users have appreciated the singers’ gesture since the video’s release. “This song will leave you teary eyed,” wrote one user. Another user residing abroad expressed how much the song made him miss his homeland.

“I love how there are quotes from Mr Jinnah’s speeches in the video. It is something quite original and suddenly makes you realise the status of the Christian community in Pakistan, and that despite facing so many attacks, they have the same patriotic spirit as any other Pakistani does,” he wrote.

One of the singers is Rosemary Mushtaq, who has participated in several music shows in the past, including Pakistan Idol. Her voice offers more range and tenor than it did before.

“We did this song with all our love for the country, but within the words, especially of the first song, we want to highlight the fact that we as Christians also want space which we have not fully received,” she said. “In fact, although this is an effort by Christians, we are speaking on behalf of every non-Muslim. We do not have space and representation in several sectors but we want everyone to remember that this country belongs to us also and we have produced many great heroes.”

The medley, titled ‘Hum Sab Ka Pakistan’, comprises three classic patriotic songs, including Mehdi Hasan’s ‘Yeh Watan Tumhara Hay’, ‘Hum Zinda Qaum Hain’ and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s 1999 hit ‘Mera Paigham Pakistan’

The medley is produced by Australia-based Gill’s Production. Akash Sonu has arranged the music. Qaiser Khalid has directed and edited the video. Apart from Rosemary, the singers include Mehboob Gill, Robin Ghosh, Anita Samuel, Arif Bazmi, Saman Haris, Qaisar Chohan, Sadaf Samuel, Javed Akhtar, Haris Bazmi, Sana Yousaf, Arif Bhatti and Anjum Pervaiz.

Akash and his brother Imran Gill conceived the idea of the song. “It was about paying homage to Pakistan on its 70th year of independence,” said Akash. “We thought that in these seven decades none of the non-Muslims separately dedicated anything and we thought a song will be a good idea.”

Akash further said that throughout the production, they kept Mr Jinnah’s motto of ‘Unity, Faith and Discipline’ in mind. “In future, we will take on board our other non-Muslim brothers and sisters as well.”

But there are differing opinions. One listener did not like the idea that the singers sang as Christians rather than as Pakistanis.

“I think there was no need to highlight this as a separate community because what is actually happening is that even on a day like Independence Day we are highlighting our differences rather than unity.”


Originally published in Dawn, August 13th, 2017

Comments

Jm Aug 13, 2017 09:27am
Simply beautiful. We are all Pakistanis!
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iMTIAZ ALI KHAN Aug 13, 2017 09:43am
Love you my Christian Pakistani Community. God Bless You. May the message of humanity as one which Jesus preached bless us all.
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MNTAZIR Aug 13, 2017 09:50am
this is very heartening.I love Pakistan and all her people be them muslim or christian or sikh or hindu.I love you all. from Kashmir
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Ali Aug 13, 2017 09:59am
A beautiful song from my beautiful people
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Fani Aug 13, 2017 10:09am
Marvellous...!!
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sheikh fiaz Aug 13, 2017 10:31am
Beautiful and lovely job. Yes. We are one nation and equal citizens of this motherland.
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Shah2u Aug 13, 2017 10:33am
Wonderful. Thank you our Pakistani brothers & sisters. Thumbs up!
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Omar Aug 13, 2017 10:48am
No one should have any doubt that our country Pakistan is for all the people living in this country. It can be Christian, Hindu or Muslim or from any other faith. I hope to see next year a milli nagma representiting all religion singers so that we can hear the voice of Pakistan. Love you all. Regards Omar
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AtiF Aug 13, 2017 10:49am
Well done Stay blessed Long live Pakistan
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Khan Salman Aug 13, 2017 11:03am
Love my Christian, Hindu, Sikh fellow Pakistanis! You are as Pakistani as anyone else.
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Denzil George D'Souza Aug 13, 2017 11:11am
@IMTIAZ ALI KHAN Thank you dear. I always enjoy reading your comments of harmony. Pakistan Zindabad!
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Ali Aug 13, 2017 11:18am
Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww ............... Amazing vocals , I wonder why i cant see them in our media. Being a Pakistani Muslim i stand by our brothers and sisters o minoroties. W e stand united and strong. Quaid e Azam has said in his 11 Aug 1947 Sindh Const. Assembly speech that state has nothing to do with our religion, caste or creed. Pakistan Zinadabad. I request to Bazmi sahb to keep this group intact and we would like to hear these sweet vioces again and again.
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Zia Aug 13, 2017 12:13pm
Excellent...God bless Pakistan
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NABEEL Aug 13, 2017 12:16pm
Love you my Christian brothers & sisters... God bless you and our Pakistan
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S Zafar Iqbal Aug 13, 2017 12:24pm
All Pakistanis are equal Pakistanis, irrespective of their religion. A Pakistani cannot be a minority in Pakistan. We must make sure every Pakistani feels a part of our national fabric. Religion, or language, or place of origin should have nothing to do with our being Pakistanis. We are all equal Pakistanis.
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Shahryar Shirazi Aug 13, 2017 01:24pm
Christians, Sikhs, Hindus and Parsis have contributed a lot towards Pakistan's growth.
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Rationalbabu Aug 13, 2017 01:35pm
There is absolutely a need to highlight this as a separate community because that is exactly how they have been persecuted - as a separate community! Pakistan, like most Muslim countries will never learn to celebrate its diversity because of its entrenched culture of superiority over other faiths
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Wajahat Aug 13, 2017 02:30pm
Come on! We are all Pakistanis. Our religion is important to us as individuals. Need to have unity and unity is decipline.
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A PakistanI Aug 13, 2017 02:43pm
I never considered them as the other, all communities of Pakistan were are and always will be my brothers and sisters. We are a family.
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Amer Rao Aug 13, 2017 02:49pm
Hum Hain Pakistani
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Saqlain Aug 13, 2017 03:51pm
Perfect, Just salute u guys
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Raaz Aug 13, 2017 04:22pm
Indeed beautiful!! Together we make a nation together we make Pakistan
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Mehran Khan Aug 14, 2017 12:08am
A nice Mashup, thank you
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MUHAMMAD Aug 14, 2017 12:11am
Love and congrats to All Pakistanis...
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mubbshar hasan Aug 14, 2017 01:48am
This really Made me cry. Love you Pak.Miss u pakistan.Happy independence day to all pakistanis.
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Aliuddin Mohammed Aug 14, 2017 02:46am
Its beautiful, THANKS u" ALL. ITS YOURS, MINE AND US.
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Khan USA Aug 14, 2017 08:09am
Good work !
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omer khan shaheen Aug 14, 2017 08:20am
There were and are no differences among Pakistanis. "Xari Jalil" . Yes a very small group with the blessings of unfriendly foreigners may have tried to create fractures, but dear Xari a much much bigger group i.e. (over 99%) of Pakistan never thought we had any differences with any minority. We live as we lived after 1947 and this land belong to all of us.
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kerala Aug 14, 2017 09:12am
Are these Christians -Koreans?
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KT Aug 14, 2017 10:34am
Great Day today for Hindu minorities today who celebrate Independence day with Birthday of Lord Krishna today midnight [15-Aug-2017].
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Saira Bano Aug 14, 2017 01:35pm
@kerala ??
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Faraz Aug 15, 2017 02:14am
Overwhelming..!!! OMG such a beautiful voices from Pakistan. Our brothers and sisters from Christians, Hindu, Parsi and all other communities have always rendered great services to homeland. And in my personal opinion no one need a certificate of being to be a true Pakistani, we are one flag bearer so we are one. United we stand dived we fall. Long Live Pakistan..!!!
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Dervaish Khan Aug 15, 2017 09:53am
The first step which our people in the power corridors can take is to give good opportunity to our non muslim brothers in government jobs . This will give confidence to our these sidelined brethren. They will be more noticeable and listened to.
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Salman Aug 17, 2017 02:00pm
Much much better then National Anthem of coke studio.
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Khan Aug 17, 2017 03:38pm
There was 1 s.b.john singer in olden days my pare ts would listen to him
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zohaib Ashraf Bhatti Aug 17, 2017 07:40pm
ilove pakisitan
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