Gulzar Alam

In January 2003, Gulzar was arrested while performing at a private wedding, but was later released, Gulzar said he was "humiliated" by this,[1] however a more serious event took place in April of that year when 27 police officers forced entry to his home and arrested this three sons and a brother.[2] He stopped singing after receiving anonymous letters warning of the consequences of singing in public and started selling property instead, however he eventually fled to Karachi.[3]

However following the elections of February 2008 the nationalist Awami National Party replaced the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal and they not only opened Nashtar Hall for cultural activities but invited Gulzar Alam back to singing. Gulzar Alam accepted the invitation wholeheartedly and started his singing career again. In April 2008, Peshawar's Nishtar Hall was the city’s only auditorium for promoting cultural activities,[4] had reopened after five years of closure due to the policies of the previous government - Gulzar was one the artists who performed at the reopening.[5]

Gulzar Alam was awarded “Baacha Khan Peace Award” twice in recognition of his services for Pashto music and peace. He won the first prize in “All Pakistan Music Festival” in 1994. Apart from receiving many regional, national and international awards and titles, in 2011 the Govt. of Pakistan in order to recognized his services in the field of music and peace, awarded him one of the highest prestigious award of the country “Presidential Pride of Performance Award”