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Famous Pashto singer Gulrez Tabassum died at a local hospital in Peshawar on Wednesday. He was 77.

Later, he was buried in Kakakhel Town, Peshawar.

The renowned Pashto folk singer, who served as an authentic and enduring voice of traditional music across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was born in Mardan in 1950.

He launched his singing career from Radio Pakistan Peshawar, later expanding his reach through PTV Peshawar Centre, vibrant stage performances and Pashto cinema. Known for his poignant vocal style and deep connection to classical Pakhtun folk traditions, Gulrez Tabassum earned widespread fame among regional listeners for preserving the acoustic essence of rural music.

His career flourished across local hujra gatherings, television broadcasts and regional audio recordings. He remained steadfastly committed to authentic Pashto musical heritage, prioritising classical folk instruments like rubab and acoustic percussion over modern synthetic beats.

His repertoire was celebrated for its emotional depth, focusing on iconic tappay — the two-line folk couplets that express the joy, grief, and romance of Pakhtun life — alongside traditional badala and narrative qissa ballads passed down through generations.

Through featured broadcasts and film playback, Gulrez Tabassum brought traditional folk literature to a wider audience, solidifying his role as a vital custodian of Pashto culture.

However, he had long quit singing and called it a day more than a decade ago owing to ailing health. During his last few years, he remained bedridden as his medical condition worsened. According to family sources, he passed away in a local hospital.

Gulrez Tabassum will be remembered as a soulful icon whose vocal mastery helped to sustain the rich poetic tradition of the borderlands. His artistic legacy endures through his preserved recordings, film tracks and the lasting footprint he left on the cultural memory of Pashto folk music.

Originally published in Dawn, October 29th, 2026