Junaid Jamshed

Junaid Jamshed (3 September 1964 – 7 December 2016) was a Pakistani singer and preacher who rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s as lead vocalist of the rock band Vital Signs and of its celebrated patriotic song "Dil Dil Pakistan", then changed course completely: in 2004 he left music, devoted himself to preaching, religious nasheed and religious television, and his story became a famous example of a pop star's passage into preaching through the same media. ^{1 2}

He was born in Karachi into a military family; his father, Jamshed Akbar Khan, was a group captain in the Pakistan Air Force, and his mother was a granddaughter of the nawab of Loharu State. ¹

He graduated from an international boarding school in Yanbu' al Bahr, Saudi Arabia, and wanted to join the Pakistan Air Force as a fighter pilot but was prevented by weak eyesight. He entered the University of Engineering and Technology in Lahore, studied mathematics and physics, then majored in mechanical engineering, graduating with a BSc in 1990; he worked briefly as a civilian contractor engineer for the air force before focusing on music. ¹

Vital Signs began in 1986 in Rawalpindi; Jamshed, then an engineering student, joined as lead singer. The band was noticed by officials of Pakistan Television (PTV) and by the producer and broadcaster Shoaib Mansoor, and its first album, Vital Signs 1, was released nationwide and aired on PTV. Its hit singles "Dil Dil Pakistan" and "Tum Mil Gaye", released on 14 August 1987, brought national fame and lifted Pakistan's underground rock industry to the national level. ¹

Further albums followed: Vital Signs 2 (1991), with the band's first international tour, to the United States; Aitebar (1993); and Hum Tum (1995). The band split in 1998 and Jamshed began a solo career. ¹

His first solo album, Junaid of Vital Signs, appeared in 1994 (later renamed Tumhara Aur Mera Naam), followed by Us Rah Par in 1999, one of the best-selling albums of that year, a compilation, The Best of Junaid Jamshed, in 2000, and Dil Ki Baat, released in 2002 (the article also gives 2001 in its discography). ¹

In a 2003 BBC World Service poll of the world's most popular songs, with voters from 155 countries and territories, "Dil Dil Pakistan" was ranked third among the top ten songs. ¹

The media began speculating about his drift from music as early as 1999; after 2001 he disappeared from the public eye, struggled financially and filed for bankruptcy. In 2004 he officially renounced music, announcing that he had devoted his life to Islam, influenced by the Tablighi Jamaat; he also left engineering and opened a clothing boutique named "J." (read as "Jay Dot") selling shalwar kameez, which grew into outlets across Pakistan and some abroad. ¹

He became a religious vocalist who recited nasheeds on television and released them on albums, among them Jalwa-e-Janan (2005), Mehboob-e-Yazdan (2006), Badr-ud-Duja (2007), Yad-e-Haram (2008), Rehmat Ul Lil Aalamin (2009), Mera Dil Badal De (2010) and Noor-Ul-Huda (2013), alongside religious television appearances and preaching tours. ¹

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In November 2014 he was accused of blasphemy over remarks reported about Aisha, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ Muhammad. In December 2014 he apologised in a video message, saying it had been his mistake, made through ignorance and lack of awareness, and asking the Muslim world for forgiveness. ^{1 2}

The article quotes his friend and discoverer Shoaib Mansoor's deep sadness when Jamshed announced he was quitting music as 'Haram': Mansoor said a confused man had no right to confuse thousands of young followers, and that his film Khuda Kay Liye (2007) was inspired by Jamshed's life — Jamshed was offered the lead role, said he would shave his beard for it, and later refused to take part. The article also records that he sometimes sang privately at musician friends' gatherings. ¹

The Muslim 500 listed him among the world's most influential Muslims, citing his charity work, especially with the NGO Muslim Charity from 2003 until his death, and noting that under his leadership the charity expanded its operations to 16 countries. ¹

"Dil Dil Pakistan" remained a lasting patriotic song in Pakistan, while his boutique "J." became a recognised clothing brand in Pakistan and abroad. ¹

He had been in Chitral on a Tablighi Jamaat mission and, returning to Islamabad with his wife, died on 7 December 2016 when PIA Flight 661 crashed near Havelian; he was en route to deliver the Friday sermon at the Parliament mosque. His funeral prayer in Karachi was led by Tariq Jamil, and in 2018 he was posthumously nominated for the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Pakistan's third-highest civilian honour. ^{1 2}

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