Amjad Sabri

Amjad Farid Sabri (23 December 1976 – 22 June 2016) was a Pakistani qawwali singer and a proponent of the Sufi Muslim tradition. Amjad was a scion of the family of the Sabri Brothers; the son of Ghulam Farid Sabri and a nephew of Maqbool Ahmed Sabri, he emerged as one of South Asia's prominent qawwali singers. He was assassinated in Karachi in June 2016 by terrorists of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP Hakimullah Mehsud group claimed responsibility, saying they had assassinated him "for blasphemy". Sabri sang the famous qawwalis of his family and travelled widely to India, America and Europe where he was known as the "rock star" of qawwali. At the time of his death, he was an acclaimed qawwali singers in the Indian subcontinent and performed around the world.

His other works include Main Nazar Karoon Jaan E Jigar, Allah Allah, Dhoom Macha Do, Kaabe Ki Raunaq, Kaash Yeh Dua Meri, Ali Mera Dil, Phir Dikha De Haram, Tuloo E Saher Hai Shaam-E-Qalandar and his last Naat Aye Sabz Gumbad Wale. He also performed "More Haji Piya" song in the 2008 Hindi feature film Halla Bol.

Sabri's last musical project was with Coke Studio (Pakistan). He performed an outstanding qawwali, "Aaj Rang Hai" with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in Episode 7 of Season 9. Sabri's performance on the platform turned out to be his first and last one at this studio.

Personal life Amjad Sabri is fondly remembered by friends and family as a warm and affable person who was always smiling, Friends who knew him closely also considered him somewhat of an eccentric and an outspoken misfit. Sabri preferred to live in his humble Liaqatabad residence even after achieving world fame and refused to move to a more affluent area due to his spiritual association with the home built by his father. All of the car passengers were then shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where Sabri died. His assassination occurred near an underpass named after his father.

Perpetrators According to local Pakistani media like Dawn News, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for killing Amjad Sabri. The responsibility was claimed by the group's spokesman, Qari Saifullah Mehsud. Qari Saifullah Mehsud was later shot dead by an unknown gunman in Khost province of Afghanistan on 29 December 2019. Mehsud was a key TTP commander and was among the terrorists most wanted by Pakistan for his involvement in several terror attacks in the country. He was previously arrested by U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2016 but was later released after he spent 14 weeks in jail in Afghanistan. Amjad Sabri's voice featured in the track "Church" on Coldplay's 2019 album Everyday Life.

Legacy According to a major newspaper of Pakistan, "He lived a life above worldly emotions, and did not consider his contemporaries as rivals. When singer Atif Aslam showed interest in singing the famous Qawwali 'Tajdar-e-Haram', which was originally sung by Amjad's father, Amjad not only permitted it, but also praised Atif for delivering a powerful and befitting rendition".

National Public Radio's obituary for Amjad Sabri gives a summary definition of qawwali this way, "In South Asia, qawwali is also one of the most popular and relatable expressions of Islam and of Sufism - the hugely diverse, mystical branch of Islam that emphasizes having a personal connection to God, as well as embracing tolerance, peace and equality".