LAHORE: The timeless verses of Waris Shah found 44 new and seasoned voices, gathered from across the province under the auspices of the Punjab Institute of Language, Art & Culture (Pilac) at the All Punjab Heer Singing Competition 2026.
Across Punjab, Heer has never been merely a love story. For generations, the verses of Waris Shah have travelled from village courtyards to urban gatherings, carried by voices that turned poetry into memory, music and living heritage.
At the annual competition, what unfolded was more than a contest for prizes, it was a celebration of the oral tradition through which Punjabi literature has survived beyond books and manuscripts, sung, remembered and passed from one generation to another. In the hands of the performers, Waris Shah’s verses once again became a living cultural experience rather than a text confined to the page.
Abu Sufyan, known as Wajahat Warsi, of Sheikhupura emerged as the winner, with Muhammad Umar Latif of Faisalabad taking the second position and Zain Nazir of Sargodha securing the third place. They received Rs100,000, Rs75,000 and Rs50,000 respectively.
Mubeena Akbar of Nankana Sahib and Aiman Fahim of Lahore were awarded consolation prizes of Rs30,000 each.
The jury, Prof Zahid Hassan, Dr Muhammad Jawad and Shabana Abbas, faced a difficult task as performers brought distinct voices and interpretations to the celebrated narrative. Ali Usman Bajwa hosted the proceedings.
For Pilac, the significance of the competition lies beyond discovering winners. Its broader purpose is to create a contemporary space for Punjabi language, literature, music and performance, allowing inherited traditions to meet new audiences and younger generations.
Punjab Institute of Language, Art & Culture Director General Muhammad Aslam Shahid said the institute remained committed to providing talented performers with platforms to demonstrate their abilities and to promoting Punjab’s language, culture and arts.
He observed that the quality of performances made the selection of winners particularly challenging, adding that artistic recognition was not confined to receiving an award but also lay in having one’s talent heard and appreciated.
Launched by Pilac in 2013, the competition has steadily become an important fixture in the province’s cultural calendar.
Its earlier first-position winners include Shabana Abbas (2013), Tahseen Sakina (2015), Muhammad Arif Siddiqui (2016), Muhammad Anwer Chishti (2017), Bilal Haidar (2021) and Iman Fatima (2024).
Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2026
