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Music of Pakistan

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The Music of Pakistan (Urdu: موسیقی پاکستان, romanizedMusiqi-ye Pakistan) is a distinct fusion of Turko-Persian, Arabian, Indian, and contemporary Western influences.[1] Often called "Pakistani Music," this genre has continually evolved over time in response to shifting cultural trends, musical traditions, and government policies aimed at regulating musical expression.[2]

Although Pakistan was founded in 1947, the land it occupies has long served as a crossroads of civilizations. Over the millennia, the region’s culture has been shaped by the Persian Empire, various Turko-Persian Empires, Afghan Empire, Arab Caliphate, Indian dynasties, and British colonial rule, each of which left a distinct mark on its musical heritage. These historical legacies have coalesced into a distinctive Pakistani musical identity, which also honors the traditional and folk music of its many ethnic groups, including Punjabis, Pashtuns, Kashmiris, Baloch, Hazaras, Sindhis, Wakhi, Shina, among others.

EMI Pakistan is the country's biggest record label, as of 2015 holding the licenses of some 60,000 Pakistani artists and around 70% of the total music of the country,[3] while streaming service Patari has the largest independent digital collection, with some 3,000 artists and 50,000 songs.[4]

Traditional music

Sufis performing Sama. Miniature from the Timurid copy of the Khamsa of Amir Khusrau, Herat (modern-day Afghanistan), 1485.

Pakistan, located in South-Central Asia, is home to a wide array of ethnic, linguistic, and cultural groups. The country’s traditional music, often referred to as folk music, reflects this diversity, with each ethnic group contributing unique styles and forms that have been passed down through generations. At the same time, Pakistan's music scene has also seen the development of musical forms born from the fusion of various traditional influences, such as Qawwali and Ghazal, which blend traditional, regional, and Sufi elements.

Qawwali

One of the most notable genres of traditional Pakistani music is Qawwali (Urdu: قوّالی, Persian: قوالی, Pashto: قاووالی), a devotional musical form primarily performed in Punjabi, Persian, or Urdu. A key characteristic of Qawwali is its emphasis on improvisation and lyrics derived from Sufi poetry, often expressing themes of divine love, longing, and spiritual devotion. In recent decades, however, Qawwali has increasingly incorporated secular themes into its repertoire.[5]

Amir Khusrau, a prominent figure of the Chisti order of Sufis, is credited with creating Qawwali by blending Turkish, Persian, Arabic, and Indian musical traditions in the late 13th century. The word "Qawwali" is derived from the Arabic term "Qawl" (Arabic: قول), meaning "saying" or "utterance." A session of Qawwali is formally referred to as "Mehfil-e-Sama," as it is considered a form of Sama (Turkish: Sema;  Persian, Urdu and Persian: سَماع, romanized: samā‘un), a Sufi tradition performed as part of the meditation and prayer practice known as dhikr. In Central Asia and Turkey, the word "Sama" is used (or is preferred) for musical forms that closely resemble Qawwali.

Abida Parveen, renowned Qawwali singer, performing live at a concert in 2016.

Qawwali music is performed by a group of about nine musicians, called Humnawa (Urdu: ہم نوا, lit.'one who sings in harmony with'), with one lead singer. In addition to the hand clapping from the singers, several instruments are used in Qawwali performances. These include the Harmonium, Tabla, Rubab, Sitar, Sarangi, Tanpura, and others, which give the genre its own characterstic identity.

Qawwali gained international acclaim through the legendary artist Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, often hailed as "Shahenshah-e-Qawwali" (Urdu: شهنشاهِ قوالی, lit.'The King of Qawwali'). In 2016, LA Weekly ranked Khan as the fourth greatest singer of all time. One of his most celebrated albums, Night Song, produced in collaboration with Michael Brook, reached number 4 on the Billboard Top World Music Albums chart in 1996 and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album in 1997.

Ghazal

An illustrated headpiece from a mid-18th century collection of Persian ghazals.

The ghazal (Urdu: غزل, Persian: غزل) is a form of poetry consisting of couplets which share a rhyme and a refrain, with both lines of the opening couplet and the second line of each subsequent couplet adhering to the same meter. Etymologically, the word "ghazal" (Arabic: غَزَل, romanizedġazal) originates from Arabic, where it means "to flirt," and often denotes themes of love and longing in Arabic poetry. In the Persianate world, the term acquired additional symbolic meaning, being associated with the "mortal cry of a gazelle"—based on the Persian word "ghazāl" (Persian: غزال), from which the English word "gazelle" stems. The cry of a gazelle when hunted became a metaphor for the pain, separation, and yearning central to the ghazal's themes. The name ghazal encapsulates its dual essence: the tender, often melancholic exploration of love, loss, and existential musings, alongside its lyrical and rhythmic beauty, evoking the elegance and grace of the gazelle.

While traditionally rooted in poetry, the ghazal in Pakistan has evolved to become closely associated with music. This transformation began in the early 20th century when the recording industry played a key role in popularizing the musical adaptation of Urdu and Persian ghazals, making the works of renowned poets like Rumi, Hafez, Mirza Ghalib, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Ahmed Faraz, and Parveen Shakir accessible to a wider audience. Ghazal music originally adhered to the Hindustani (North Indian) classical tradition, employing ragas (melodic modes) and talas (rhythmic cycles), typically at a slow, contemplative tempo. In modern times, however, ghazals have seen a fusion with genres such as light classical, jazz, rock, or pop music, resulting in a more contemporary sound that retains the lyrical beauty of its origins.

Folk Music

Pakistan has diverse folk traditions, with each region reflecting its local culture and language through its musical traditions. These folk traditions are passed down through generations and often form the core of community events, rituals, and festivals, typically celebrating themes of village life, nature, bravery, spirituality, love, longing and seperation. Some of the famous folk singers of Pakistan include Zarsanga, Sanam Marvi, Nazia Iqbal, Gul Panra, Raheem Shah, Saieen Zahoor, Abida Parveen, Ghazala Javed, Tina Sani, Musarrat Nazir, Laila Khan, Zeb Bangash, Suraiya Multanikar, Allan Fakir, Alam Lohar, Hadiqa Kiani, Ali Zafar.

In Pakistan's rural areas and ethnic communities, bards continue to perform traditional folk music, preserving ancient songs and cultural customs. In the Pashtun community, Pashtun community, ashiqs or barkhurdars are traditional bards who sing epic tales of Pashtunwali (the Pashtun code of honor), recounting historical battles, and the lives of famous warriors. In Balochistan, Ghazaks (Balochi bards) perform songs about historical figures, social struggles, and regional issues, often accompanied by the dambura, a stringed instrument. Similarly, in Sindh, bards continue to preserve and perform the poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai and other Sufi mystics, traveling between shrines and festivals.

Some of the major folk traditions of Pakistan include:

Balochi music

Balochi music, primarily found in the Pakistani province of Balochistan, is a diverse and rich tradition shaped by the region's variety of languages, including Balochi, Persian, Pashto, Brahui, Sindhi, Dari and Saraiki. Common instruments used in Balochi music include the sarod, doneli, and benju. Notable musical forms in Balochi culture include Sepad, Shabtagi, Vazbad, Lullaby, and Zayirak, which are performed in various rituals, such as those following the birth of a child, while lullabies are sung to soothe infants and children.[6]

Balti music

According to Balti folklore, Mughal princess Gul Khatoon (known in Baltistan as Mindoq Gialmo—Flower Queen) brought musicians and artisans with her into the region and they propagated Mughal music and art under her patronage.[7] Musical instruments such as the surnai, karnai, dhol and chang were introduced into Baltistan. Classical and other dances are classified as sword dances, broqchhos and Yakkha and ghazal dances.[8] Chhogho Prasul commemorates a victory by the Maqpon rajas. As a mark of respect, the musician who plays the drum (dang) plays for a long time. A Maqpon princess would occasionally dance to this tune. Gasho-Pa, also known as Ghbus-La-Khorba, is a sword dance associated with the Gasho Dynasty of Purik (Kargil). Sneopa, the marriage-procession dance by pachones (twelve wazirs who accompany the bride), is performed at the marriage of a raja.

Sindhi music

Sindhi music is traditionally performed in two primary styles: Baits and Waee. The Baits style is a form of vocal music, characterized by two variations: Sanhoon (low voice) and Graham (high voice). On the other hand, Waee is primarily instrumental and often involves the use of string instruments. Waee music is also referred to as Kafi and is widely found in the surrounding regions of Balochistan and Punjab. Common instruments used in Sindhi regional music include the Yaktaro (a one-string instrument), Narr (a type of flute), and Naghara (a drum). The themes in Sindhi music often center around Sufism and mysticism.

Shina music

The predominant language found in Pakistan's Northern Areas has an extensive oral history which dates back several thousand years. With the increase in tourism to Pakistan's Northern Areas and increased domestic as well as international awareness of the local folk music, the Shina folk traditions have managed to stay alive and vibrant. Folk music in this region has remained relatively pure and unscathed by modern influences due to the relative isolation of this area. The arrival of many refugees from the adjacent Nuristan province of Afghanistan and the subsequent increase in commercial activity in Chitrali bazaars allowed this local form of music to flourish in the past few decades.

Punjabi music

The Khattak Dance, a swift martial arts sword-dance performed by Pashtuns in Pakistan's Northern Areas

Music from the Punjab province includes many different varieties. Traditional Punjabi music features a wide array of instruments, including the dhol (a large drum), flute, dholak (a smaller drum), and tumbi (a single-stringed instrument). Bhangra is a popular Punjabi folk dance, often performed to the beat of the dhol, with songs that tell stories of agricultural life, love, and joy.

Pashto music

Pashto music is predominantly found in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and in major urban centers of Pakistan, including Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi. There is a long oral tradition of Pashto folk music, which includes genres such as the Tappa, Charbeta, Neemkai, Loba, Shaan and Badala.

The Tappa is considered one of the oldest forms of Pashto poetry, consisting of two unequal meters, with the second being longer than the first. Charbeta is another highly popular form of Pashto poetry, often epic in nature, focusing on heroic figures and events. It is typically performed at a fast tempo by two or more singers. Neemkai is a type of folk song usually composed by Pashto women, expressing themes drawn from daily life and personal experiences.

Loba is a dramatic form of Pashto folk song, often a dialogue that tells romantic stories or allegorical tales. Shaan is a celebratory song performed during significant life events, such as marriages or the birth of a child. Badala, is an epic poem set to music and accompanied by instruments like the harmonium, drums, and tabla. Although it is a form of folk music, it is typically performed by professional musicians.

Spirtual music

Pakistani Sufi Saieen Zahoor.

Hamd

There is a large number of hamd and naat singers in Pakistan. This is a type of Islamic religious music where poetical verses of the love for God (Allah) is expressed. Some of the most famous artists include Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, along with his nephew Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. There are Sabri Brothers Qawwal, Qawwal Bahauddin Khan from Karachi. 'Hamd' is also used extensively in Christian religious music from Pakistan and all over the world where people from this region are found. 'Hamd' is not the exclusive domain of any religion. As pointed out – it denotes praise to God, it is more extensively used in the Muslim world. It is usually used in conjunction with the Sanna (praise) and referred to as 'Hamd – o – Sanna'. 'Naat' denotes praise to Muhammad.

Naat

Nasheeds

Modern music

Pakistani music in the 21st century revitalized itself and has many segments as follows:

Pop music

The song "Ko Ko Korina" (Urdu: کوکوکورینا) sung by Ahmed Rushdi in 1966 is considered to be the first pop song of Pakistan. Rushdi was born in present day India in 1934, where he started his musical career, but later migrated to Pakistan in 1954.[9]

Pop music in Pakistan truly gained momentum during the 80's with the brother-sister duo Nazia and Zoheb Hassan. Their debut album, Disco Deewane (Urdu: دسکو دیوانے, translation: "Disco Lovers"), released in 1981, broke sales records in Pakistan and became the best-selling Asian pop album at the time.[10] It topped charts in India, Russia, South Africa, Latin America, and Philippines, and earned international acclaim.

The 1980s also saw rapid political change in Pakistan, driven by the Islamization policies of President Muhammad Zia Ul Haq, who came to power through a coup d'état in 1977. This era coincided with the rise of conservative movements across the Greater Middle East, including the 1979 Islamic Revolution in neighboring Iran, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979), which sparked an Islamic insurgency promoted by the United States and Saudi Arabia. This shift towards Islamization brought about bans and restrictions on musical expression across the region, especially targeting pop music for its Western influences.

In Pakistan, President Zia-ul-Haq's Islamization drive, under the banner of Nizam-e-Mustafa (Urdu: نظام مصطفی, Translation: "Order of the Prophet"), imposed strict censorship on music across TV and radio.[11][12][13] The regime banned music for arbitrary reasons, such as "endorsing alcohol consumption" if lyrics mentioned alcohol, or "obscenity" if a male and female were shown standing close or dancing.[11][12] This sweeping cultural overhaul extended to attire as well, with Dil Dil Pakistan, a patriotic anthem—typically the kind of music that thrives under autocratic regimes—being censored for showing young men in Western clothing.[13] Zia-ul-Haq also closed all bars, nightclubs, and theater halls, depriving aspiring musicians and bands of venues to perform and earn a living.[14]

The war in Afghanistan significantly accelerated the rise of fundamentalist Islam in Pakistan through the support of the United States and Saudi Arabia under Operation Cyclone. Saudi Arabia, in particular, arranged the transport of thousands of young, indoctrinated volunteers from across the Middle East to Pakistan, where they were trained before being sent into Afghanistan to fight Soviet forces.[15] In addition, Saudi Arabia funded the establishment of thousands of madrassahs in the country,[16][17] with their number growing from about 900 in 1971 to over 33,000 in 1988[18]. These madrassahs promoted Wahhabi ideology, aiming to radicalize Afghan refugees and poorer local populations to join the fight against the Soviets.[19] However, these radicalized youths also launched a campaign inside Pakistan against music, which is considered impermissible under Wahhabi doctrine.[20] They threatened many musicians into renouncing their craft or leaving the country altogether.[21] Their fervor escalated to the point of burning down record shops and launching attacks on art exhibitions and musical performances.[22][23]

Modern pop singers such as Atif Aslam, Ali Zafar, Hadiqa Kiani, Goher Mumtaz and Farhan Saeed have made international waves as well, winning numerous awards and performing in some of the world's most prestigious arenas. In 2013 Atif Aslam became the first Pakistani pop singer to perform at The O2 Arena London twice and has sung several songs for Hollywood and Bollywood. Aslam is also the youngest recipient of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, one of Pakistan's highest civilian honours, for his work in the music industry.[24][25][26] He was also named in 2012 among top performers of Dubai alongside Pitbull, Enrique Iglesias, Il Divo, Gotye, Evanescence and Swedish House Mafia.

Rock music

Shallum Asher Xavier from Pakistani rock band, Fuzon, performing live at a concert

The rise of rock music in Pakistan began in the 1980s when cassettes first came into Pakistan bringing in a wave of Western rock music, particularly groups such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, and AC/DC. Western-influenced rock music began to feature in underground concerts all across the country. In the 1980s, rock bands Vital Signs and Strings rose in defiance of the authoritarian regime and gained immense popularity amongst the youth. Vital Signs is widely regarded as Pakistan's first and most successful pop rock band. Their single "Dil Dil Pakistan" was voted the third most popular song of all time in a BBC World poll in 2003.[27] Despite being active since the late 80s, Strings achieved widespread popularity after the release of their second album in 1992. The band went on to sell over 25 million albums worldwide. Junoon, Aaroh, and Noori followed suit in the 1990s.

Junoon pioneered the genre of Sufi rock, combining the poetry of famous Sufi poets such as Rumi, Hafez, and Bulleh Shah with the hard rock brand of Led Zeppelin and Santana and South Asian percussion such as the tabla. Junoon is one of Pakistan's and South Asia's most successful bands with over 30 million albums sold worldwide; the New York Times called Junoon "the U2 of Pakistan" and Q magazine dubbed them as "One of the biggest bands in the world".[28] Junoon became the first rock band to perform at the United Nations General Assembly Hall and only the second Pakistani act to perform at a Nobel Peace Prize Concert.[29][30]

The early 2000s saw the arrival of progressive metal, progressive rock, and psychedelic rock with bands such as Entity Paradigm and Mizraab. Mekaal Hasan Band, Call, Karavan, Jal, Roxen, Mizmaar, and Qayaas also exploded onto the music scene with different brands of rock including alternative and soft rock. The television series Pepsi Battle of the Bands was instrumental in launching Entity Paradigm, Aaroh, and the Mekaal Hasan Band, all of whom competed in the inaugural edition of the show in 2002.

The resumption of the Pepsi Battle of the Bands in 2017 after almost 15 years, heralded the resurgence of Pakistani rock with the rise of Kashmir, Bayaan, and Badnaam.[31]

Although the heavy metal genre began to rise in popularity after the 1997 general elections, Pakistani heavy metal music can be traced back to the new wave of British heavy metal of the 1980s and 1990s with bands such as Black Warrant (band), Final Cut, and Barbarians. In recent years, numerous heavy and black metal bands including Overload, Saturn, Saakin, Karakoram, Burq - The Band, Taarma, The Nuke, and Aag have amassed followings in this niche rock music in Pakistan.

Hip hop music

Pakistani hip hop is a blend of traditional Pakistani musical elements with modern hip hop music.

Filmi music

Pakistan's film industry known as "Lollywood" is based in Lahore and Karachi.

Notable artists

Singers

Bands

Composers

Producers

Music journalism

Music journalism in Pakistan has grown over the years and most newspapers and TV channels have their own reporters and critics on music of Pakistan. Besides the newspapers, many news websites have also started giving coverage to Music in Pakistan. MangoBaaz, Musicians of Pakistan, and VeryFilmi are common examples.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Music and Dances of Pakistan, Musical Instruments of Pakistan". Government of Pakistan, National Heritage Wing website. Ministry of Information, Broadcasting & National Heritage. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Pakistan's Music Industry – A Historical Perspective | Pulse Connects". www.pulseconnects.com. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  3. ^ Mahmood, Rafay (12 June 2015). "Patari takes a hit as country's biggest record label threatens legal action". The Express Tribune. [...] EMI Pakistan holds licences to around 60,000 Pakistani artists and almost 70% of the total music of the country.
  4. ^ "Patari's profile".
  5. ^ "Classical Music | American Institute of Pakistan Studies". pakistanstudies-aips.org. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  6. ^ "Regional Music | American Institute of Pakistan Studies". pakistanstudies-aips.org. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  7. ^ "Baltistan is Beautiful Land of Mountain|Glaciar| Velleys". mybaltistan.com website. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  8. ^ Hussainabadi, Muhammad Yousuf: Balti Zaban 1990
  9. ^ "Chowk: Poetry: Socio-political History of Modern Pop Music in Pakistan". web.archive.org. 18 June 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  10. ^ Gopal, Sangita; Moorti, Sujata (2008). Global Bollywood: Travels of Hindi Song and Dance. U of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-4578-7.
  11. ^ a b Paracha, Nadeem F. (9 December 2010). "Popping Zia". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Pakistan's Music Industry – A Historical Perspective | Pulse Connects". www.pulseconnects.com. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Times of the Signs | Blog | DAWN.COM". web.archive.org. 2 April 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  14. ^ "Pakistan's Music Industry – A Historical Perspective | Pulse Connects". www.pulseconnects.com. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  15. ^ Dillon, Michael R. (01 August 2009). "Wahhabism: Is it a Factor in the Spread of Global Terrorism". NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ "GovInfo". www.govinfo.gov. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  17. ^ Moniquet, Calude (11 June 2013). "THE INVOLVEMENT OF SALAFISM/WAHHABISM IN THE SUPPORT AND SUPPLY OF ARMS TO REBEL GROUPS AROUND THE WORLD" (PDF). European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs.
  18. ^ Commins, David (20 February 2006). The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia. I. B. Tauris. pp. 191–192. ISBN 978-1845110802.
  19. ^ "Pakistan's Madrassahs: Ensuring a System of Education not Jihad". Brookings. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  20. ^ "Creating Enemies of the State: Religious Persecution in Uzbekistan: Notes on Wahhabism, "Wahhabis," and Hizb ut-Tahrir". www.hrw.org. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  21. ^ "Sound of silence: Fearing for their life, Pakistan's Rabab musicians bow out". Arab News PK. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  22. ^ Mansoor, Halima (3 March 2014). "Music and militancy: The decade of silence". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  23. ^ Pakistan - Music Under Siege, 101 East, Steve Chao, Abdul Aziz Ghazi, 22 October 2015, retrieved 19 November 2024{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  24. ^ "Atif Aslam Rocked the O2!". BOLLYSPICE website. 6 May 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  25. ^ a b "Atif Aslam Dhamaka London concert". 6 May 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  26. ^ a b "Bollywood Showstoppers Press conference". BOLLYSPICE website. 6 April 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  27. ^ The World's Top Ten (most popular songs in 2003) BBC World Service website, Retrieved 13 October 2020
  28. ^ (Jon Pareles)In Performance: Pop; Divine and Secular Love Expressed in Rock Style New York Times, Published 8 May 2002, Retrieved 16 October 2020
  29. ^ Junoon Band's Concert in Observance of United Nations Day to be held in General Assembly Hall, 24 October 2001 United Nations website, Published 19 October 2001, Retrieved on 16 October 2020
  30. ^ Junoon band's performance for Nobel Peace Prize Concert at The Royal House of Norway website Published 17 December 2007, Retrieved 29 July 2020
  31. ^ (Turyal Azam Khan)'Pepsi Battle of the Bands' makes a powerful return Asia Times (newspaper), Published 24 July 2018, Retrieved 16 October 2020
  32. ^ Sajjad Ali, Ali Azmat draw big crowds at Lahore Music Meet Dawn newspaper, Published 12 March 2017, Retrieved 14 October 2020
  33. ^ a b "Three Generations of Songmakers". Dawn (newspaper). 4 August 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  34. ^ a b Remembering the legend (Mehdi Hassan) Dawn (newspaper), Published 13 June 2012, Retrieved 15 October 2020
  35. ^ "Classical singer Amanat Ali Khan remembered". The News International (newspaper). Associated Press of Pakistan. 18 September 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  36. ^ Abida Parveen on allmusic.com website Retrieved 16 October 2020
  37. ^ Qawwal Amjad Sabri's obituary on The Telegraph (newspaper) Published 23 June 2016, Retrieved 15 October 2020
  38. ^ Profile of music director M. Ashraf on cineplot.com website Retrieved 15 October 2020
  39. ^ End of a legend: Fans pay tribute to Bangladeshi music director Robin Ghosh Dawn (newspaper), Published 13 February 2016, Retrieved 15 October 2020
  40. ^ Shades of glory: Sohail Rana Dawn (newspaper) Published 19 April 2009, Retrieved 15 October 2020
  41. ^ Arif, Aayan (19 March 2019). "Musicians Of Pakistan: Nescafe Basement Brings Aadat's Nostalgic Magic Back Leaving the Fans in Tears of Joy". Musicians Of Pakistan. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  42. ^ "Dream station productions launches Acoustic station". The Nation. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2020.