PESHAWAR: Writers and music directors have termed Dr Laajwar Saleem, a noted songwriter of yore days Pashto movies, the first ever poet, who penned down countless popular songs for Pashto films in early 70s.

Dr Laajwar Saleem was born in 1937 in Dag Besud village of Nowshera district and passed away in Australia on July 8, 2025, at the age of 88. He was buried there, leaving three sons, a daughter and grandchildren to mourn his death.

Music directors and poets believed that Dr Laajwar Saleem was the maiden screen Pashto bard whose songs proved a historic milestone for golden period of Pashto film industry founded in Karachi in early 70s. Peshawar and Quetta radio producers could preserve his more than 400 popular songs of Dr Laajwar.

He received his early education from his village school and then his family shifted to Karachi in late 50s. He got a medical degree from Dow Medical College (DMC). He started his career as doctor serving in Jinnah Hospital, Karachi. Later he proceeded to Australia on government scholarship in 1962 and received doctoral degree in orthopaedics and physiotherapy.

Dr Laajwar permanently settled in Australia owing to his domestic issues but he used to write national songs in Pashto for radio and PTV that were reflective of his love for land and people.

Prof Abaseen Yousafzai while commenting on the contribution of late poet said that Dr Laajwar Saleem’s Pashto songs displayed his patriotism and should be published posthumously.

He stepped in writing Pashto songs for Pashto movies released in early 70s including Adam Khan Durkhani, Mujahid, Baghi, Tapoak Zama Qanoon, Da Pakhtun Toora and a few others sung by non-Pashtun playback singers including Runa Laila, Deena Laila, Saleem Raza, Rehana Yasmin, Malka Pukhraj as Pashtun singers were not available at that time.

Senior radio anchor person Haji Mohammad Aslam said that Dr Laajwar Saleem was a Pashto songwriter par excellence, who contributed to Pashto film industry, radio and TV at a time when Pashto scriptwriters, music directors and sponsors were not available but he offered free of cost services to boost Pashto despite his busy schedule.

During his service in Karachi, he served as personal doctor of Muhtarama Benazir Bhutto and made legendary Mehdi Hasan to sing one of his songs. Later, he sponsored trips of popular Pashto singers including Hidyatullah, Kishwar Sultana, Mahjabeen Qizalbash and Gulnar Begum from Peshawar to Karachi for playback singing of Pashto movies.

Haji Aslam said that he was busy in a research study on Pashto songs, which would prove a crash course for young literati. He said that Dr Laajwar Saleem though a medical doctor knew how to heal the evils of Pashtun society through measured symphonies.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2025