Every year on August 14, we celebrate our independence like never before, thanking the founding fathers for making the right choice. That’s why on each Independence Day we pay tribute to those politicians who sided with the Father of the Nation, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and helped establish an independent country for us.

However, this year I would like to take the opportunity to pay my respects to those 14 individuals who helped shape our times in their own different ways and giving us hope, especially when all seemed nearly lost.

These 14 individuals are those who made an impact in my life as well as stood out as respected people throughout their careers. Some belong to the world of sports, some have been part of the showbiz circuit while a few have made philanthropy their gateway to the hearts and minds of all. Let’s take a look at who these jewels in the crown are and why are they close to my heart, and how they shaped the lives of the first few generations who had the privilege of growing up in a free country.

Madam Noor Jehan — Malika-e-tarannum

She may have been a superstar before Pakistan came into being, but by migrating to the newly-created state with no cinema infrastructure, Madam Noor Jehan brought stability with her. Had she decided not to cross the border, it would have taken the cinema industry in Pakistan a few more years to stand on its feet. With the biggest star in colonial united India in their ranks, many producers, actors and writers shifted to Pakistan without thinking twice.

While she was a big film star in the first phase of her career, she was even a bigger singer in her second phase and nobody can forget her contribution to the War of 1965, where she sang countless patriotic numbers that seem still relevant and give you goosebumps whenever they are aired on TV or radio. During the 1980s when I was growing up, watching Madam Noor Jehan on TV was like watching Pakistani cinema’s history flash before your eyes, because she sang her popular numbers on most occasions, keeping us all close to our roots.

Ibn-e-Safi — the first Pakistani superstar!

Pakistan’s first homegrown superstar was not a film actor or a director, but a youngster named Asrar Ahmed who dabbled into detective fiction as Ibn-e-Safi soon after the creation of Pakistan. Before you knew it, he went on to become the most-read Urdu fiction writer ever; he may have died at the age of 52 in 1980, but his work lives on because it was different from his predecessors.

I must admit I was late to the Ibn-e-Safi club, but that had more to do with the unavailability of his best-selling books than anything else.

His characters, namely Ali Imran, Inspector Faridi and Sergeant Hameed were loved by their fans and followers across the world, and it is recorded that, within minutes, his novels would be sold like hotcakes, such was the craze of his two series Jasoosi Duniya and Imran Series. Not only did these series offer the readers an escape from the problems of the real world, but they were popular in other parts of the world, where they were translated into the local languages.

M M Alam — the quintessential war hero

Air Commodore Mohammad Mahmood Alam, commonly known as M M Alam, was not just a war hero but a world record holder; he shot down five Indian fighter jets in under a minute during the 1965 Indo-Pak War and became a household name for defending his country. During his days in the Pakistan Air Force, he was hailed as a legend and after his retirement, he appeared on TV and spoke about his achievements, which boosted the morale of many Pakistanis, including myself.

When I was growing up, he was amongst the few individuals who would be welcomed with thunderous applause from the audience and they wouldn’t sit down until he sat down in his chair, be it on a TV show or a private function. In fact, the most prominent road in Lahore is named after him and his world record feat will keep him alive in the eyes of his fellow countrymen until the end of days.

Tariq Aziz — the man who started a revolution

Mention the name of Tariq Aziz to people who grew up in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, or even 1990s, and they will all have a fond memory to cherish regarding the great man. The 60s generation would remember him for being the face of PTV, the 70s folks would remember him as an actor whereas, to the latter generation, he was the host who would give prizes to contestants on his TV show Neelam Ghar (later Tariq Aziz Show) long before the word game show was coined.

Not only was he the first announcer on national television, but he was also an actor of repute who performed in films alongside the biggest names in the country. He was also a poet of repute and although he dabbled into politics, his fandom remembers him for his unique style of compering which made Neelam Ghar, one of the longest-running TV shows across the world.

Abdus Sattar Edhi & Bilquis Edhi — the guardian angels of Pakistanis

For half a century, Abdus Sattar Edhi and his wife Bilquis Edhi served the nation as philanthropists who were just a call away. Be it an accident victim or an orphan kid, the Edhis were always there with a helping hand and helped save lives with their acts of kindness. Not only did Edhi and his wife run the world’s largest volunteer ambulance network, but the Edhi Foundation also has a wide range of homeless shelters, animal shelters, rehabilitation centres, and orphanages across the country.

Not only did the two served humanity the way it should be served, their charitable model was so successful that it was followed by others across the country. After Edhi’s death in 2016, his wife Bilquis carried forward his legacy and after her demise last year, their son Faisal is taking their legacy forward by serving his fellow countrymen in every way he can. Everyone in Pakistan has an Edhi story to tell, which shows how many lives the couple touched during their life.

Sohail Rana — the maestro with the Midas touch

Compile a list of the ten best patriotic songs and you will be surprised to know that the majority of them were composed by one person — Sohail Rana. From Jeevay Jeevay Pakistan to Sohni Dharti, from Zameen ki Goad Rung Se to Tera Pakistan Hai, Sohail Rana always knew what the public wanted and delivered. The iconic music director who began his career with films and composed Ko Ko Ko Rina and Akele Na Jana in the 1960s, made TV his second home after it became the most prominent medium.

It was on TV, where he conducted music shows with children as participants for two decades and gave the country countless singers like Nazia Hassan, Zoheb Hassan, Adnan Sami Khan, and Afshan Ahmed, who went on to make a name for themselves. Sohail Rana continued to compose patriotic numbers which were followed by his children’s songs Daak Babu, Dosti Aisa Nata, and Bara Maheenay Islami which every kid growing up in the 70s, 80s, and 90s knows by heart.

Nazia Hassan — the pop star who revolutionised music

Nazia Hassan was not just a participant in Sohail Rana’s music programme, but also a superstar in her own right. In her teens, she was able to croon for a Bollywood film Qurbani and her song Aap Jaisa Koi became so popular that she went on to win the coveted Filmfare Award, a first for a Pakistani. Along with her brother Zoheb, she redefined the pop music genre in Pakistan and delivered countless hits, including Boom Boom, Teri Meri Aisi Dosti, and Disco Deewane to name a few.

Although she passed away at a young age due to cancer, Nazia Hassan accomplished much in the little time she had. She not only hosted a few shows on national TV, but was instrumental in the success of Music 89, the show that changed the face of pop music in the country. Her technologically advanced music is still listened to and in recent years has been plagiarised across the border as well as in TV commercials in Pakistan, proving that her legacy is still alive and kicking.

Samiullah Khan — the flying horse of hockey

Long before Diego Maradona made dodging look easy in football, Samiullah Khan was doing the same with a hockey stick in his hand, for Pakistan. He was an extraordinary talent who helped his side win major tournaments during his decade-long career. From the early 1970s till the early 1980s, he represented Pakistan at the international level and posed a threat to all oppositions, with his speed, dodging techniques and thrilling runs.

Be it his remarkable ball control or ability to outpace his opponents, Samiullah Khan was always one step ahead of the opposition. He was nicknamed the Flying Horse for his extraordinary speed and ability to create goal-scoring opportunities, which saw Pakistan win every major tournament during his era, except the Olympic Games. Had Pakistan not boycotted the 1980 Olympic Games, who knows Samiullah would have become the first Pakistani to win the gold medal at the World Cup, the Champions Trophy, the Asia Cup, the Asian Games, and the Olympics.

Jahangir Khan — the unbeaten Pakistani

When I was growing up, Jahangir Khan was a constant reminder of the fact that nothing is impossible, because whenever he entered the squash court, he came out victorious. It might sound hard to believe, but the squash player holds the world record of most consecutive wins — 555 matches, undefeated — which is something neither Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal have been able to match. He is still regarded as the greatest squash player the world has ever seen and his name appears in the Guinness World Record for the longest winning streak by any athlete in top-level professional sport.

Jahangir Khan is amongst the few living Pakistanis who will make you stand up in their presence and shake hands with them, because of his countless achievements. He won a record 10 British Open titles between 1982 and 1991, clinched the World Open on six occasions during the same time, besides winning other tournaments. His fitness regime was stuff dreams are made of and kept him on top of the sport where Pakistan, thanks to him and his family, ruled the world for half a century.

Benazir Bhutto — the first Muslim female prime minister

You may not agree with her political ideology, but her persistence earned her a place in this list. At a time when no Muslim country had a female prime minister, Benazir Bhutto not only led the Pakistan Peoples Party, but also became the country’s premier, not once but twice. Not only did she manage to juggle her roles as a leader of a political party, but also raised her three children well, showing that women can do it all — and do it well.

It was because of Benazir Bhutto that the women in the country were brought to the forefront; she was instrumental in the creation of the First Women Bank and even nominated women at positions that were previously held by men. In a male-dominated society, she brought a change with her out-of-the-box thinking, but her life was cut short with her assassination in 2007.

Ismail Gulgee — artist par excellence

I was quite young when the legendary painter Sadeqauin passed away at the age of 56 in 1987, however, I had the privilege of meeting Ismail Gulgee, the legendary artist who started as a portraitist and later turned to abstract art, basing his works on Islamic calligraphy. He came over to our school to judge a painting competition and it was there when my friends and I saw someone wearing flip-up sunglasses for the first time in our lives.

It was only later after a visit to the school library that we realised that we were graced by the presence of one of the greatest painters in Pakistan’s history, one who had the honour of painting renowned world leaders, besides Pakistani leaders. Many of his artworks are in Faisal Mosque, Islamabad, and keeps on inspiring generation after generation.

Imran Khan — sportsman-turned-philanthropist-turned-politician

It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that cricket became a passion for Pakistanis because of the legendary captain Imran Khan, who represented Pakistan for two decades as an international cricketer. As a world-class all-rounder, he inspired cricketers like Wasim Akram and Steve Waugh and remains the only one to lead the national side to a victory in the World Cup final. It was after that historic victory in 1992 that his drive to establish Pakistan’s first and only cancer hospital — The Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust Hospital — gained prominence.

Combine his charisma as a cricketer with his philanthropy and you have a popular celebrity who even went on to become the prime minister, making the urban, politically uninterested people become politically conscious and active.

I remember meeting Imran Khan in 1991, before Pakistan won the World Cup, when he came over to our school for a charity drive. Every student was in awe of the celebrated cricketer who asked all students to become volunteers for the cancer hospital, and most of them did, including myself.

Dr Malik Ghulam Murtaza — the smiling scholar with words of wisdom for all ages

During the 1990s, a smiling scholar appeared on national TV who spoke about religion in such a manner that it interested everyone from a kid to an old man. Be it his weekly shows on TV, where he answered questions sent via post or his Ramadan shows where he spoke about the Holy Quran, Dr Malik Ghulam Murtaza was a soothing presence on TV.

I had the honour of meeting him on a couple of occasions and he answered all kinds of questions from religious to political, always with a smile on his face.

In fact, in one of the TV shows he appeared in, he explained that he loves it when youngsters ask him questions because they are the future and by quenching their thirst for knowledge, he is making his contribution to the future. Despite his death in 2002, his lectures on YouTube have kept him alive in the hearts and minds of his followers who still refer to his words when in search of guidance.

Anwar Maqsood — the man with the golden pen

For the last 50 years, the one name that’s constant with TV in Pakistan is that of Anwar Maqsood. He has been part of our lives as a playwright, a TV compere, a host with a knack for asking tough questions and an actor of repute.

From Fifty Fifty to Aangan Terha, from Studio 2½ to Studio 2¾, from Sho Sha to Showtime, Anwar Maqsood’s pen has proved to be more powerful than any sword.

His humour has no match, his wit doesn’t cross any limit and he knows what to say to make the audience laugh. Since the last dozen of years, he has been making a name for himself in the theatre circuit with successful plays like Pawnay 14 August, Sawa 14 August and Siachen, while his last prominent work Loose Talk is so relevant today that its clips become viral whenever someone posts them on the social media.

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 12th, 2023