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One of Sindh’s most well-known singers, Mehboob Khaskheli, who dedicated over three decades of his life to the music industry, passed away at the age of 58 after a prolonged illness at Jinnah hospital in Karachi early Friday. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his powerful renditions of romantic and revolutionary songs, primarily in Sindhi and occasionally in Urdu.

According to local historian and columnist Shoukat Hussain Soomro, the singer was born in Mirpur Bathoro in Sujawal district. He was the son of esteemed musician and composer Ali Muhammad Khaskheli. His father, a music teacher and composer, was known for his melodious compositions and had a close association with seasoned poet Ghulam Hussain Rangrez. This bond inspired him to introduce his sons, the late Allah Dino and Mehboob, to the world of singing.

Mehboob received formal training in singing from his father along with his elder brother and started his career by performing at local events and festivals. Later, he appeared alongside his brother on television and recorded a few Sindhi songs. His fame grew when the trend of recording audio cassette albums started gaining traction in rural Sindh.

Along with Fozia Soomro, Shaman Ali Mirali, Master Manzoor, Samina Kanwal, and Shazia Khushk, he also garnered popularity through this medium, and his melodious voice reached every nook and corner of Sindh during the last decade of the 20th century.

The duo of Khaskheli brothers gave new trends to Sindhi music — one of using decent lyrics. But it wasn’t just lyrics that Mehboob had a command over — his significant command over both classic and folk genres of music gained him a place in the upper echelons of Sindhi music. Besides singing poems of world-renowned Sindhi poets, he also pushed local poets to fame by singing their lyrics at different cultural and social events.

He sang the poetry of Sheikh Ayaz, Ustad Bukhari, Ibrahim Munshi, Ghulam Hussain Rangrez, Niaz Pitafi, Aakash Ansari, Sarwech Sujawali, Ali Muhammad Uderai, Ashraf Shair and Qaisar Chandio, among others.

Qasim Rangrez, a close friend of late singer, revealed that during his 30-year career, Mehboob released 300 albums by different music companies. He also lent his voice to a handful of Sindhi television films and dramas. His songs were used for comedy movie Gadiya Par Der San, Mr Baziger, Murs Maru (Brave Man) and Zalim Duniya.

Sujawali’s poetry, particularly, Jannat-ul Firdous Ahin Bahi Kandiyon Maheran Jun (Both sides of the Indus River are like paradise), took the Khaskheli brothers to new heights of fame across Sindh.

Some of his solo hits include ‘Dak Lago Ahro Piyar Me’, ‘Ahe Duniya, Matlab Jee’, ‘Matan Hare Mahendi’ and ‘Akeli Zindai’ among others.

Heads of nationalist parties, such as Rasool Bux Palijo, Ayaz Latif Palijo, Qadir Magsi, Riaz Shah, and others, used the brothers’ voices to create mass awareness and strengthen their political movements. Noman Shoro, a local political activist, said both brothers would perform at political gatherings during the anti-Kalabagh dam movements and annual meetings of Rasool Bux Palijo’s Awami Tehreek party and its sister wings.

In recognition of his services to the music industry, he was bestowed with awards from several local and provincial cultural organisations.

A troubled time

The untimely demise of his elder brother, Allah Dino, in a road accident on June 24, 2016 near Tando Allahyar badly dented Mehboob’s musical career, and he almost quit singing. Later, on the insistence of his close friends and family, he made a comeback along with his two sons, Mujahid Khaskheli and Muzaffar Khaskheli, but his comeback didn’t last long, and he was diagnosed with Hepatitis B in 2022.

Following delayed treatment caused in part due to financial constraints, his condition deteriorated. After mounting pressure on social media, the culture department turned up to help the ailing singer, but by then it was too late. He was treated at Dow Hospital and Liaquat National Hospital Karachi on several occasions.

In his last appearance in the media, when a delegation of journalists visited him in August 2024, he mourned the indifferent attitude of the authorities and his near ones with tears in his eyes.

The death of a legend

The news of his death spread like wildfire across the province, prompting a large number of tributes online.

Scores of admirers and friends converged in Mirpur Bathoro to attend his funeral and bid farewell to him. Former senator Sassui Palijo, MPA Heer Suho and other noted figures contacted his family members and offered their condolences. The late singer has left behind two sons, Mujahid and Muzaffar.

Zahid Ishaque Soomro, a columnist and historian in Sujawal, called his death a huge loss to the Sindhi music industry. He said with the death of Mehboob, an era of folk singing had ended in Sindh.

Sarang Dars, son of prominent Sindhi author Rasool Bux Dars, said society’s apathy deprived Sindh of another melodious voice. Urs Narejo, an emerging Sindhi actor, paid tribute to Mehboob, saying that Sindh had lost another versatile singer who could sing multiple genres with ease.

Poet and writer Ayaz Ammar urged the Sindh government to help cultural icons in need. His colleague and another known face of Sindhi music, Hameed Ansari of Badin, told Images that the Khaskheli brothers dedicated their whole lives to music but did not get the farewell they deserved from the authorities. Riaz Khaskheli, a cousin of the late singer, disclosed that Mehboob had to sell his valuables to pay for his treatment, adding that despite these hardships, his sons were committed to carrying on the legacy of their father and uncle.