Haq Nawaz washes cars during daytime, sings in iconic F-9 Park in evening
Zubair Qureshi
In a peaceful corner of the green and serene Fatima Jinnah Park (F-9 Park) stands Haq Nawaz, a 37-year old street singer holding a mike and singing a popular song by Kishore Kumar.
His songs attract visitors and families that come to the park for evening walks or picnics.
They enjoy his performance as his melodious voice adds extra colour to the beauty of Islamabad’s largest park spreading over 759 acres.
Seeing his passion for music, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) allotted him the quiet corner a few months ago and he comes here daily in the evening, with his only two instruments a portable microphone and a speaker.
Haq Nawaz said he was 12 when he came to Islamabad in search of livelihood. “I did many odd jobs and worked as a painter but as COVID-19 impacted every field of life so my work was affected,” said Haq Nawaz.
Then I requested the CDA chairman to allot me a corner in the F-9 Park where I could delight visitors with my voice and come to the public notice.
Now, he washes cars and vehicles in the morning time and as the day wears out comes to the park along with his family
His three young daughters spend time playing in the park while his wife remains busy filming him on her smartphone.
Now he is becoming popular with the community and people have started inviting him to their parties, birthdays and weddings. This helps him feed his family.
To a question why he did not adopt singing as a profession, Haq Nawaz said he tried to join different musical groups but luck did not smile at him.
Maybe one reason for my failure in music is that I don’t belong to any big ‘gharana’ or ‘family’ of music that has a monopoly over this industry, he said.
After knocking at doors in vain, we decided to come in direct contact with the public, he said. His younger brother Akhtar Hussain is also a standup singer in Rose & Jasmine Garden of Islamabad.
“Singing runs in our blood. My whole family, brothers and sisters are amateur singers,” he said.
Haq Nawaz sings popular songs by Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi and Udit Narayan and his voice has something that stops the passers-by to listen to him, take a picture or record video.
He has become a celebrity in the park and visitors take selfies with him, said Murtaza, a regular frequenter of the park.
Haq Nawaz also sings ghazals and songs by the Pakistani singers Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali and Ahmed Rushdi but his real talent is reflected in Kishore and Rafi songs who are his all-time favourites.
