PESHAWAR: Noted sitar player Ustad Zainullah Jan died of cardiac arrest in the wee hours on Saturday at his residence, family sources confirmed on Sunday.

The artist was one among a few surviving sitar players in the province. He was laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard in Umarzai area of Charsadda on Sunday, where folk artists, notables and fans attended his funeral payers in large numbers.

He was senior vice-chairman of Hunari Tolana, an artists’ organisation. Several literary and cultural organisations have showed deep sorrow and grief over the artist’s death and sympathised with the bereaved family.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, Rashid Khan, chief of Hunari Tolana, termed the untimely demise of Ustad Zainullah Jan an irreparable loss to Pashto folk music.

He was born in 1966, and received early education from a government school.

The artist had learnt the basics of Chitrali Sitar when he was in his early teens and gained widespread fame owing to his mastery over playing the string instrument.

Mr Jan grew up among artists and literati and turned out to be a versatile genius as he was a poet, composer, singer, craftsman, mason and instrumentalist.

Recipient of presidential Pride of Performance award, he had represented Pakistan in several countries, including the UK, France, Gulf states and Afghanistan. Also, Mr Jan’s solo performances on radio, TV, stage and film screen were matchless.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2025