On the sixth anniversary of his passing on Wednesday, Junaid Jamshed, a Pakistani music singer who later became an evangelical Muslim preacher and Na’at Khuwan, is remembered.
On September 3, 1964, Junaid Jamshed was born in Karachi. Before becoming a vocalist, he had a brief career as an engineer and contractor with the Pakistan Air Force. He founded the pop group Vital Signs, which he also sang for and played guitar for.
The Band enjoyed tremendous success all over the world in the 1990s thanks to songs like “Aitebaar,” “Goray Rang ka Zamana,” “Dil Ki Baat,” “Dil Dil Pakistan,” and “Sanwali Saloni.”
His singing career was blossoming, and he travelled the globe to perform live concerts to showcase his talent. However, after 15 years of delighting fans of popular music, Junaid formally quit the music business in 2004 at the height of his success in order to reaffirm his commitment to Islam.
Media had begun making predictions regarding Junaid’s departure from music soon after the Vital Signs disbanded as early as 1999. After Junaid released his solo albums in just two years and resumed his globe tours, the rumours quickly died down.
Jamshed vanished from the public glare and shunned media attention after 2001. Hyatt has continued to make music over the years, but Junaid has remained distant from him.
Jamshed announced his intention to devote his life to Islam in 2004 and thereafter made a formal renunciation of music and engineering. In 2007, the Pakistani government bestowed upon him the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz title.
When PIA flight PK-661 of an ATR-42 turboprop plane crashed near Havelian with 47 passengers and crew members on board, including Junaid Jamshed and his wife, he was on a mission to teach the residents of Chitral the proper paths of the religion.
The Pakistani government gave him the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz title in 2007.
