CHARSADDA, March 4: The family of noted Pashto folk singer Zarshad Ali, who breathed his last on Feb 11 last at a local hospital after suffering from mouth cancer, is faced with financial woes.

Khatir Ali, the 12-year-old son of the deceased singer, left the private school, he was studying in, and got admission in a government school after his father’s death owing to financial constraints.

Born to senior Qawali singer Niaz Parwar in 1961 at Rajar, district Charsadda, Zarshad had a natural flail for singing.

He launched his career as a singer at 20 and soon rose to fame.

In 1984, a tragedy struck him at the peak of his career when he was performing live at a musical concert in district Mardan, where a stray bullet hit him and badly damaged his spinal cord.

He was crippled for life, however, Zarshad Ali’s courage remained intact and his commitment to the art of singing made him bold enough to continue performing when and wherever he was invited.

He contributed 2,000 audio and CD albums, used to visit Duabi, Qatar and Kabul frequently and every part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata. Despite hard times, he would never beg for any financial assistance and would often say that he would continue to survive through his art, Falak Niaz, the brother of the deceased singer, said.

“I am old and ailing. Zarshad Ali was my true successor. He had a great talent, two and half years ago he had his one tooth out and it caused him mouth cancer because of infection. He spent Rs6 million on its treatment. Zarshad would never beg for any financial help even from culture department and his diehard fans, such was the level of self-esteem but I am concerned about the future of his son,” his elderly father said with tears welled up in his eyes.

Zarshad used to sing poetry of Ghani Khan, Ikramullah Gran, Dr Mohammad Azam Azam and other popular Pashto poets with great ease and fluency and would receive great applause from the listeners. “An artist can never be a disabled and never beg even if he becomes,” Zarshad would often heard saying while driving his wheelchair.

Two of his younger brothers Falak Niaz and Khairul Bashar are also related to the profession of music.

They said that though Zarshad never asked for any award or other perks in return of his immense contribution to Pashto music yet the culture department, his fans and civil society should come forward to extend some financial assistance to his widow and teenage son so that he could complete his education and later carry on his father’s legacy.