Kasauti-fame Quraish Pur passes away

E-Paper | March 16, 2026

KARACHI: Quraish Pur, a distinguished intellectual and host of the popular Pakistani quiz show 'Kasuati', passed away in Karachi on Monday.

Quraish Pur became a household name throughout the country during the 1970s when he hosted 'Kasauti', one of the country's longest-running and most popular television quiz shows.

Quraish Pur had joined Pakistan Television (PTV) in 1973 as Presentation Controller and retired in 1992 as the head of the department. Other than Kasauti, he was also the host of popular TV programmes Sheshay Ka Ghar and Zoq-i-Agahi.

Along with his colleagues on Kasauti – Obaidullah Baig, Iftikhar Arif and later Ghazi Salahuddin – Quraish Pur was renowned for extraordinary knowledge of history, literature, geography and the sciences.

Obaidullah Baig passed away in Karachi earlier last year.

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Nazar

Aug 05, 2013 04:28pm

May his soul rest in peace. He was an intellectual personality.

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samra

Aug 05, 2013 04:33pm

Saddest news! May God bless him always. and May this country see more such beautiful minds and men with such magnitude of character..

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ansar

Aug 05, 2013 04:36pm

RIP

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Abdul Hadi Khan

Aug 05, 2013 04:48pm

May Allah grant him Maghfirah. Brings back so many memories of the good old days gone by.

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Qayyum Khan

Aug 05, 2013 06:10pm

Quraish Pur, Pakistan's Prominent Intellectual and Profusely Popular PRESENTER & TV Host passed away. May Allah the Almighty rests the departed soul in Eternal Peace, and Bless those left behind to Miss & Mourn him for ever, the Fortitude to bear this irreparable loss - Aameen.

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dr zahid pervez

Aug 05, 2013 06:42pm

those familiar with present day tv shows he might be unknown..but for many a media legend...

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Adnan Khan

Aug 05, 2013 06:49pm

End of an era. Quraish Sahib represented a generation of intellectuals that whole nation should be proud of. My thoughts and prayers go with the family. He will be missed.

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Farhan

Aug 05, 2013 07:00pm

Such names doesn't come everyday and such departure is a real loss for the nation. May Allah give him best place in jannat ul firdous..Ameen. They are legendary people who are assest for any nation. But Alas, they are forgotten when they deserve to be remembered.

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Aug 05, 2013 07:02pm

Inna Lillahay wa inna alayhay rajayoun. Great loss, what an amazing and highly knowledgeble man he was.

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Faisal Hafeez

Aug 05, 2013 08:19pm

@samra: Ameeen.....

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Dilwer

Aug 05, 2013 09:15pm

@ansar: so few words for a man of words

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Dilwer

Aug 05, 2013 09:20pm

Another brilliant mind passed away. Sadly we get more coverage of carnage and mayhem these days but no befitting article or tribute on passing away of people who really mattered in the history of the country. Had he been in any other country he would have gotten a memorable tribute for all he did in his professional life. We do not produce any towering figures like the original "Kasauti" trio anymore. My deepest condolences to Quraish Pur and his family. He surely is in a better place now.

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Ajamal

Aug 05, 2013 09:21pm

I grew up watching kasauti on b&w screen. How many such characters are left in our gaali and gooli society?RIP

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Sami

Aug 05, 2013 10:03pm

I am so sad to hear this. Great people are leaving like so soon. There is no body who could fill their vacuum. Obaidullah Baig and now Quraish Pur. Farman Fatehpuri a few days a go and so many others. I am sad I am sad. Looks like we are going to get barren.

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ali

Aug 05, 2013 11:04pm

Sad to hear this news,Mr Quraishpur was a thorough gentleman along with the other members of his team, Kausauti was a wonderful programme. and will be remembered by people who had the honour of watching it. May his soul rest in peace

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Imtiaz Faruqui

Aug 05, 2013 11:28pm

Such intellegent personalites should have been used to make high level Govt. policies, but they were ristricted only to mere PTV. Such brains are used in the White House jobs working with the Prez.

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emran

Aug 05, 2013 11:28pm

I am pretty sure, he is in a much better place. Indeed he was gifted with immense knowledge and character. May God bless his soul. I am also baffled why on earth someone would "rate down" the previous comments of Ansar, and Samra. I guess the king of retards.

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Imran Quraishi

Aug 06, 2013 12:07am

Quraishi Pur was a class act. I grew up watching 'Kasauti' and was eight years old when the quiz show started. I gained so much general knowledge just by watching that show which in this day and age is unheard of in any show or quiz. If we compare him to the tv hosts these days then it is a day and night difference. I wish we can find more people like him so that they can transform our society and mental attitude of the future generation which has no sense of direction. I salute this great man. God bless you sir.

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ASH

Aug 06, 2013 12:22am

Very sad news.

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Khalid

Aug 06, 2013 12:34am

Very Sad, A man of wisdom, I always adored him. May his soul rests in peace.

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Iqbal

Aug 06, 2013 12:45am

"sahi jawab hay sahab".... RIP Qureshpur

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Mustafa

Aug 06, 2013 01:23am

Saw him briefly in a TV show a few years back and the way he carried himself compelled me to inquire my father about him. He was one of the last standard bearers of the bygone Tahzeeb era that was swallowed by the fast food and fast music era. It almost sounds unreal that this nation was capable of producing Quraish pur and his Kasauti colleagues just two generations ago. Khuda unhain jannat ke buland darajat ata farmaia. Ameen. Huye naamwar be-nishaan kaise kaise Zameen yeh kha gai aasmaan kaise kaise

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I. Ahmed

Aug 06, 2013 01:59am

End of an era! All the general knowledge of our childhood and college days was due to this man and his team that came up with one great program after the other. Not only prick our mind but to provide wealth of information that even today no other program can provide. May his soul rest in peace and Allah bless him with Jannat. Amen.

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NASR

Aug 06, 2013 02:44am

He was the face of popular TV in the 70's. I was just in my early teens but thoroughly enjoyed the trio ( Obaidulah (Late) Iftikhar Arif and Quraish Pur doing Kasouti. A colossal loss of a learned person May Allah bestow upon him his Rehmah and Give him the best place in Jannah Aameen.

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Mansoor Nooruddin

Aug 06, 2013 03:40am

May Allah have mercy on his soul!

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S. A. M.

Aug 06, 2013 06:27am

Qurreshpur was an institution of knowledge. He gave so much to the media and it may not be incorrect to state that he laid the guidelines and the policy on what to be aired and how.

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Shaz

Aug 06, 2013 09:35am

Sad news. May Allah bless him. Ameen.

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Hasan,SZ

Aug 06, 2013 01:16pm

"Ina Lilla hay Wa Ina Elaihay Rajay Oon".............. What a pity that a newspaper of the caliber of the DAWN does not even know his real name was Zulqarnain Qureshi.

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S. A. M.

Aug 07, 2013 06:55am

legend becomes legend

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Faisal Ladak

Aug 07, 2013 07:32am

What a sad day for the media. Knowledge used to flow through Mr. Pur. InaLillah.

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Kamran

Aug 07, 2013 09:00am

Loss of another scholar, his demise reminds Kasuti legends have left us, Allah Bless his soul and give his family strength to bear this loss.

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Azam

Aug 08, 2013 01:04am

Quresh Sahib was such an intellectual of Pakistan. He will always be remembered. May Allah bless his soul: Qafas kay ho liye ham to magar aaye ahl-e-gulshan tum Hamein bhi yad ker laina chaman main jab bahar aaye

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