Hadiqa Kiani (

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

, ; born 11 August 1972) is a

Pakistani Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...

singer,

songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselve ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

, actress, and philanthropist. She has received numerous local and international awards and has also performed at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

and The Kennedy Center. Besides

and Punjabi, she has also sung several songs in the Sindhi and

Pashto Pashto ( , ; , ) is an eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family, natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. It has official status in Afghanistan and the Pakistani province of Khyb ...

languages. In 2006, Kiani received the fourth-highest Pakistan civilian award, the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, for her contributions to the field of music. In 2010, she was appointed as a

United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...

Goodwill Ambassador, making her the first woman in Pakistan to be a Goodwill ambassador to the United Nations.Hadiqa, becomes UNDP goodwill envoys
In 2016, Kiani was titled as "Pakistan's Most Powerful and Influential Women" by the country's leading news group,

Jang Group of Newspapers Jang Media Group (), also known as Geo Group, is a Pakistani media conglomerate and a subsidiary of Dubai-based company Independent Media Corporation. It has headquarters in Printing House, Karachi. It is the publisher of the Urdu language new ...

, as part of their "Power" edition.

Early life and career

Kiani was born in

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, third-largest city in the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is a commercial and industrial hub, being the list of cities in P ...

as the youngest of three siblings. She has an older brother (Irfan Kiani) and a sister (Sasha). Her father died when she was three years old. Her mother, poet Khawar Kiani, was the principal of a government girls' school. Seeing her musical ability, Khawar enlisted Kiani in the Pakistan National Council of the Arts. She received early education in music from her teacher, Nargis Naheed. While studying at Viqar-un-Nisa Noon Girls High School, Kiani represented Pakistan at international children festivals in

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

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, and

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, winning various medals. Kiani was also a part of Sohail Rana's children's program ''Rang Barangi Dunya'', a weekly musical on PTV. As an eighth grader, Kiani moved from her birthplace

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

, where she continued her classical training by Ustad Faiz Ahmed Khan and Wajid Ali Nashad. Kiani went on to graduate with a bachelor's degree in Psychology from

Kinnaird College for Women University The Kinnaird College for Women (KCW) is a university located in Lahore, Pakistan. It is a women's liberal arts university. Kinnaird was established in 1913 by the Zenana Bible and Medical Mission. In 1919, Presbyterian Mission Church and the ...

and her Masters in

Psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

from the Government College University in Lahore. In the early 1990s, Kiani hosted a children's TV music program called ''Angan Angan Taray''. In the -year-long run, she had sung over one thousand songs for children while hosting the show alongside the music composer Amjad Bobby and then with music composer Khalil Ahmed. Owing to the number of songs Kiani sang during this program, she was presented with the title of "A+ artist" on behalf of PTV joining the likes of

Noor Jehan Noor Jehan (21 September 192623 December 2000) was a Pakistani playback singer and actress who worked in both British India and later in Pakistan's cinema of Pakistan, cinema. Her career lasted over six decades, during which she recorded 10,00 ...

, Naheed Akhtar, and Mehnaz. Kiani also appeared as a VJ for a music charts program called Video Junction on NTM. Kiani began to sing songs as a playback singer for movies in the early 90s, most notably was the hit Pakistani movie called Sargam, which was starring and being composed by Adnan Sami Khan. The same year, she received various awards for her playback singing including the prestigious Nigar Awards for Best Female Playback Singer.

Albums

1995: ''Raaz''

In 1995, Kiani received the "NTM Viewer's choice award" for the Best Female Singer of Pakistan. In the same Award show,

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (, ; born Pervez Fateh Ali Khan; 13 October 1948 – 16 August 1997), also known by his initials NFAK, was a Pakistani singer, songwriter, and music director. Khan was primarily a singer of qawwali, a form of Sufi devot ...

was awarded as the Best Male Singer of Pakistan. The following year, Kiani released her debut album ''Raaz'' (Secret) in 1996. The album spawned a string of radio-friendly hits and received positive reviews. Some argue that the reason the album did well was because it was not common for female singers (from educated/non-musical backgrounds) to release albums in Pakistan. Also, she was the first female singer to release a pop album after the former pop singer, Nazia Hassan, gave up her musical career. Kiani's ability to sing in other dialects was also presented to the country through the hit Kashmiri folk song "Maane Di Mauj." Her increasing popularity was further highlighted in January 1997, when Kiani became the first Asian singer to perform at the British National Lottery Live on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

(a program with an estimated viewership 16.6 million at that time). Afterwards she worked on two more shows with Bally Sagoo for

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

and ITV before going on her first U.S. tour in 1997. Her U.S. tour covered 15 states and a few cities in Canada. The same year Kiani performed many other international events in the United Kingdom, Australia, and China. By the summer of 1997, Kiani was representing Pakistan as the only Pakistani singer to perform at "Celebration Hong Kong 97" at Happy Valley Race Course, alongside other International singers like

Lisa Stansfield Lisa Jane Stansfield (born 11 April 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her career began in 1980 when she won the singing competition ''Search for a Star''. After appearances in various television shows and releasing her first ...

, Wet Wet Wet, Michael Learns to Rock, All 4 One and The Brand New Heavies, an event to celebrate Hong Kong's freedom from the United Kingdom. Kiani is the first mainstream Pakistani singer to ever perform in Hong Kong. By the end of the year she became the first Asian female singer ever to be signed by

Pepsi Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...

Cola International. She was the second international female artist in the world to be signed, the first being

Gloria Estefan Gloria María Milagrosa Estefan (; ; born September 1, 1957) is an American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is an eight-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been named one of t ...

1998: ''Roshni''

In 1998, Kiani recorded the official theme song for the 1999 Cricket World Cup. The

sponsored song was titled ''Intehai Shauq'', written by Kiani's mother, Khawar Kiani, and composed and produced by the famed Nizar Lalani. The song was filmed by Jami and Imran Baber and proved to be an instant success that captivated the country with what was noted as incredibly motivational imagery and lyrics. Amidst the

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...

recording, Kiani released her second album, titled ''Roshni.'' The third single from the album was '' Dupatta''. The video was inspired by the sci-fi film

The Matrix ''The Matrix'' is a 1999 science fiction film, science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in the The Matrix (franchise), ''Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Ca ...

. The song is listed in the Twenty Best Pop Songs Ever for Pakistan, where it is positioned at number 15. The success of the song was attributed to its quasi-bhangra rhythm with "fat, funky techno beats" and Kiani's "dreamy-meets-husky vocals" which made the results "stunning". In the wake of "Dupatta's", success Kiani became widely accepted as the country's leading female vocalist. Capitalizing on "Dupatta's" success, Kiani went on to release two other moderate hits, "Roshni", and "Woh Kaun Hai". Her sixth single of the album, "Boohey Barian" went on to become an even bigger hit for her than "Dupatta". To date, "Boohey Barian" is widely accepted as Kiani's best single ever and noted as one of the most prominent Pakistani songs of all time. ''Roshni'' sold over a million copies in Pakistan alone, certifying it as "

Platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...

". The album is listed in "The 20 Best Local Pop Albums Ever" for the country, positioned at No.15. Kiani is just one of two female singers in the entire list. Kiani's success led to her being signed by

Unilever Unilever PLC () is a British multinational consumer packaged goods company headquartered in London, England. It was founded on 2 September 1929 following the merger of Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie with British soap maker Lever B ...

for celebrity endorsement of

Lipton Lipton is a brand named after its founder, Sir Thomas Lipton, Tom Lipton, who started an eponymous grocery retail business in the United Kingdom in 1871. The brand was used for various consumer goods sold in Lipton stores, including tea from 1 ...

in 2001. In 2002, she was signed again by Unilever for Sunsilk Shampoo after the results of Unilever's national survey to find the "Most Popular Woman of Pakistan". Throughout the early 2000s, she performed live concerts in the US, Canada, UK, Middle East, Far East, Australia,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

and

2002: ''Rung''

Kiani released her third album ''Rung'' in September 2002. She returned to promote the album in June 2003, almost 10 months after she'd released "Yaad Sajan" with a new single "Ranjhan" and several stage performances and tours around the country. She then released other singles off the album throughout 2003 and 2004. These included "Jogi Bun Kay Aa", "Mahi" and "Dholan". In "Jogi Bun Kay Aa" Kiani plays various women's roles, including a traditional Japanese, an Arab, and a tribal woman. She played a vampire in her video for "Mahi" which was directed by top director Asim Raza. The video showed that it is harmful to judge people of different faiths and castes, and also bad to stereotype. It was the highest budgeted video of the year 2003. During this time, Kiani was in the midst of her first divorce, however Kiani's album sales continued to pick up through 2003 and 2004. In 2004, she received the Best Female Pop Singer Award by Indus Music, the first 24-hour music channel of Pakistan. Asim Raza won an award for best video for directing her critically acclaimed video Mahi. Shortly after the release of ''Rung'', Kiani was mentioned in "Pakistani Pop's 10 most Influential Acts Ever", in which she was ranked ninth. She is also one of just two female singers in the list, the other being Nazia Hassan. A UK-based Magazine declared Kiani the 22nd greatest music maker of South Asia out of a total of fifty artists, also mentioning how she raised the standard of music videos in the country. Several years after the release of ''Rung'', leading Indian Sufi singer " Harshdeep Kaur" covered Kiani's self composed "Jogi Bun Kay Aa" on a leading Indian television show. The lyrics of the song were originally written by Kiani's mother and poet Khawar Kiani.

2007: ''Rough Cut''

In 2007, Kiani released her fourth studio album, ''Rough Cut'', a collaboration with Aamir Zaki. With the release of ''Rough Cut'', Kiani became the first mainstream Pakistani artist to release an album completely in English. Prior to the release of the album, Kiani and

Zaki Zaki () is an Arabic male name and surname. Zaki is a Quranic name meaning "pure", "virtuous", or "intelligent". People with the given name *Zaki al-Arsuzi Zaki al-Arsuzi (; June 18992 July 1968) was a Syrian philosopher, philologist, so ...

teamed up for an Urdu song, written by Zaki, titled "Iss Baar Milo". The video was directed by Jami (director) and starred

Humayun Saeed Humayun Saeed (born 27 July 1971) is a Pakistani actor and producer. Describing himself as a method actor, Saeed is primarily known for his work on Pakistani television and cinema and is the recipient of several accolades, including Lux Styl ...

opposite of Kiani. "Iss Baar Milo's" video production and acting performances, notably Kiani's portrayal of a "

schizophrenic Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...

" patient in a Pakistani mental hospital received a great response. The video was a major milestone in the Pakistani music industry, winning Kiani and Jami the title of "Best Video" by MTV Pakistan. In April 2007, Kiani released the first official single for the album, titled "Living This Lie". The same week, Kiani was named "Hotstepper of the week" for The News by

Jang Group Jang Media Group (), also known as Geo Group, is a Pakistani media conglomerate and a subsidiary of Dubai-based company Independent Media Corporation. It has headquarters in Printing House, Karachi. It is the publisher of the Urdu language new ...

. The article also stated that ultimately, "as long as Hadiqa is around, there is still hope for women in the patriarchal music world of Pakistan." "Living This Lie" was nominated and won for "Best English Song" at "The Musik Awards" in 2007. Kiani was also nominated for Best Female Singer in the same award show.

2009: ''Aasmaan''

In June 2009, Kiani switched record labels to Fire Records and released her fifth studio album, titled ''Aasmaan''. In the album, she sang in Urdu, Punjabi, Hindko, Pashto, and Persian. The first single of the album was "Sohnya". The official video of "Sohnya" premiered a day before Kiani released the album. Following the release, the song+video stayed on the "Aag top 10 Charts" for over a month resulting in Kiani receiving a Shield from Aag10 for being the Artist of the Month. The album itself stayed Number One on the Vibes Charts of INSTEP Magazine for the entire year. By the end of 2009, ''Aasmaan'' was named the Best Album of 2009 according to sales volume, popularity and internet downloads. Every single released from ''Aasmaan'' reached number one. "Sohnya" was number one AAG10 Charts for over a month and was titled the best Pop Song of 2009 according to The Nation. "Tuk Tuk" was number one on Prime TV Charts. "Az Chashme Saqi" went number one on PlayTv Charts and by the end of 2009, it was declared the third best music video of 2009. In February 2010, Kiani released "Janan", for which she collaborated with relatively unknown

singer Irfan Khan. The song has become Kiani's biggest hit till date and some say that it has even topped the popularity of "Boohey Barian". The song became the first Pakistani pop song to be mentioned by the

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

, where the newspaper said that "Janan" was what the whole country was listening to. Kiani's rendering in the Pashto language was critically acclaimed. Some Pakhtoons even started to call her "Hadiqa Pathani", Kiani is credited with bringing back a trend in Pakistan of embracing Pashto culture, girls started to wear Pashto style dresses imitating Kiani's looks on the red carpet and more mainstream singers began singing in the local language. The song's widespread popularity was credited to the fact that it broke barriers in Pakistani music. Kiani being a Punjabi, singing a Pashto song and appealing to not only Pakistani Pashto audiences, but to audiences worldwide. Kiani's "Janan" has been covered by many international singers, most noticeably by the Chinese singer Hou Wei at the grand South Asia Expo in 2014. The Chinese cover was done as a tribute to Pakistani culture which elevated the

community in Pakistan while, what many say, cementing the song as a national treasure

2017: ''WAJD''

In 2017, Kiani teamed up with her brother to launch the visual album titled "Wajd." The album consisting of five renderings of folk songs was critically acclaimed and led Kiani to receive her first "Album of the Year" award from the

Lux Style Awards The Lux Style Awards is an award ceremony which has been held annually in Pakistan since 2002. The ceremony celebrates "style" in the Pakistani entertainment industry, such as Cinema of Pakistan, cinema, television in Pakistan, television, Pa ...

2018. Kiani's distinct wardrobe during this album's era were noted by the press and led her to win "Most Stylish Singer" at the Hum Style Awards 2018. Her style led her to be the muse for high street brands such as Generation and Bonanza and couturiers like Ali Xeeshan.

2022: ''VASL''

In 2022, Kiani released her album titled VASL. The album reproduced songs from Kiani's first studio album titled Raaz. The album saw three singles, each receiving critical acclaim. The album received international recognition when global streaming giant

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...

acknowledged the album as a part of their Equal Platform, presenting Kiani with her own appearance on a Times Square billboard in New York City.

Playback singing and musical contributions

In 1995, Kiani signed a string of Pakistani films as a playback singer, most notably the Adnan Sami Khan film Sargam (1995). Sargam went on to win various awards for Kiani, including that of "Best Female Playback Singer" at the prestigious Nigar Awards. Since Sargam however, Kiani has been mostly absent from playback singing in Pakistan. The exception came in 2011 when she became one of the primary playback singers for

Shoaib Mansoor Shoaib Mansoor (; born 4 February 1951 Karachi) is a Pakistani television and film director, writer, producer, lyricist and musician of Mahajir (Pakistan), Muhajir origin. Active in the Television in Pakistan, television industry since 1976, w ...

's film Bol. The film featured four of Kiani's songs, two of which were collaborations with

Atif Aslam Atif Aslam (; born 12 March 1983) is a Pakistani playback singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He has recorded many songs in both Pakistan and India, and is known for his Belting (music), vocal belting technique. Born in Wazirabad, Waziraba ...

. The soundtrack of the film saw positive reviews and received four

nominations for Kiani and Aslam. In 2006, Kiani was featured on UK based producer Khiza's album "Loyal To The Game"'s lead single, "Mehr Ma". The song was an instant success in Pakistan, and was seen as a great return to pop music for Kiani after her ballads in ''Rung''. In the video, Kiani was seen with different hairstyles and outfits. The reviews for the song were favorable, one source said that ""Mehr Ma", which starts off the album, is easily the best track on it. With Kiani showcasing her top-notch vocals and the music, which remains hip-hopish yet very desi, thanks to the usage of sitar, tabla makes it an excellent number." Kiani also performed the song at the 2006

. Over the years, Kiani has provided vocals for a select list of TV Dramas such as the critically acclaimed 2011 Drama Zindagi Gulzar Hai's title track with

Ali Zafar Ali Zafar (; born 18 May 1980) is a Pakistani singer-songwriter, actor, model, producer, screenwriter and painter. He started out on Pakistani television before becoming a popular musician, later also established a career in Bollywood and h ...

and the 2006 "Aas Pass" with

. In May 2012, Kiani appeared on the 5th season of Rohail Hyatt's Coke Studio. Performing renditions of

Bulleh Shah Sayyid Abdullāh Shāh Qādrī (; ), popularly known as Baba Bulleh Shah and vocatively as Bulleya, was a Punjabi revolutionary philosopher, reformer and Chishti Sufi poet, regarded the 'Father of Punjabi Enlightenment'; and one of the g ...

and

Amir Khusro Abu'l Hasan Yamīn ud-Dīn Khusrau (1253 – 1325 AD), better known as Amīr Khusrau, sometimes spelled as, Amir Khusrow or Amir Khusro, was an Indo-Persian culture, Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet and scholar, who lived during the per ...

to positive reviews. In 2016, Kiani lent her voice to the character of Meeran, portrayed by

Urwa Hocane UrwaTul Wusqua Hussain, better known by her stage name Urwa Hocane (born 2 July 1991) is a Pakistani actress, model and media personality. She made her acting debut with '' Khushboo Ka Ghar'' as Rukhsana in 2012. Hocane is best known for port ...

, on the

Hum TV Hum TV HD is a 24-hour Urdu general entertainment TV channel based in Karachi, Pakistan. It was founded by Sultana Siddiqui and Duraid Qureshi. It is owned by Hum Network Limited and traded on the Pakistan Stock Exchange as (HUMNL). Hum Net ...

drama " Udaari." The title track of the drama was sung by Kiani, featuring Farhan Saeed and production by

Sahir Ali Bagga Sahir Ali Bagga is a Pakistani singer, music director and composer from Lahore, who composes music for Lollywood and other independent singers. Recently he has composed music for the Lollywood, Pakistani movie, ''Zinda Bhaag (2013)''. He also ...

. The title track topped the music charts while the drama was critically acclaimed and an instant hit for viewers. The drama was a first for Pakistani television, tackling the taboo issues of sexual abuse and women's rights in the conservative country. It was faced with a notice from PEMRA, for the portrayal of "unethical" scenes. In 2018, Kiani joined the cast of 3 Bahadur: Rise of the Warriors for the title song . The animated film was produced and directed by Pakistan's first

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

Filmography

Films

Television

Notable performances

Apart from studio recordings, in 2005 Kiani was appointed by the government of

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

as an official representative of the country. On 11 August 2005, Kiani performed in Nagoya for the Prime Minister of Japan Mr. Junichirō Koizumi . Kiani then performed in Toronto on 14 August 2005 by request of The Pakistani Consulate. She performed in Houston on 13 August 2005. The show was at Sam Houston Race Park, and it was attended by over 15000 people. Chief guest of the show was

Sheila Jackson Lee Sheila Jackson Lee ( Jackson; January 12, 1950 – July 19, 2024) was an American lawyer and politician who was the U.S. representative for , from 1995 until her death in 2024. The district includes most of central Houston. She was a member of ...

who is a member of the

US House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

. In the same month, she performed at the Mets

Shea Stadium William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City. On 2 October 2005, Kiani performed in

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

at the newly built

Convention Centre A convention center (American and British English spelling differences, American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a Convention (meeting), convention, where individuals and groups ...

in Kuala Lumpur downtown. The Honorary

Prime Minister of Pakistan The prime minister of Pakistan (, Roman Urdu, romanized: Wazīr ē Aʿẓam , ) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Cabinet of Pakistan, cabinet, desp ...

Mr. Shaukat Aziz was the chief guest of the show. The show was part of Expo 2005 in Malaysia. Important business and political personalities from both countries attended the show. Kiani sang a song in Malay to show respect to the Malaysian people. Kiani represented Pakistan on the 25th Anniversary of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture ( IRCICA) in Turkey. Islamic Countries such as

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

, U.A.E,

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

, Kyrgyz Republic,

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

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and

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

took part in the celebrations. The event was organised by

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (, İBB) is the government agency in charge of the municipal affairs of the Istanbul Province. It is one of the 30 metropolitan municipalities in Turkey. History The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality ...

. She performed at the AKM Opera House on 23 November 2005. Among the audience were musicians from various countries. The biggest surprise for the audience was said to be when Kiani sang "Sanalama" (Turkish song of Living Legend "

Sezen Aksu Sezen Aksu (; born Fatma Sezen Yıldırım; 13 July 1954) is a Turkish singer, songwriter and producer. She is one of the most successful Turkish people, Turkish singers, having sold over 40 million albums worldwide. Her nicknames include the "Q ...

"). She told the audience that as Turkey stood beside Pakistan in good and bad times, she wanted to convey the love of Pakistani people for the Turks. She also told the audience that she visited Turkey as a child star in 80s and represented Pakistan in the International Children's Festival in Turkey so she had beautiful childhood memories associated with Turkey. The audience gave her a standing ovation at the end of her performance, The Mayor of Istanbul appreciated her and presented a bouquet of flowers to her. After her performance she received invitations to participate in the upcoming Art festivals in various countries such as

and

. During her stay in Istanbul she officially visited various historical sites in Turkey and conveyed the love of Pakistan for Turkey. Her performance in Istanbul made headlines in various Turkish Newspapers. Kiani performed in China for the Chinese Premier on 21 February 2006. The following month, she performed for President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

on 4 March 2006. Commenting on her performance, Bush said "Ms. Hadiqa Kiani is extremely talented and should sing here (United States) more." She then performed for the Crown Prince of Brunei Al-Muhtadee Billah Bolkiah on 29 May 2006. Kiani performed as per the request of former

First Lady of the United States First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is a title typically held by the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never been Code of law, codified or offici ...

Laura Bush Laura Lane Welch Bush (née Welch; born November 4, 1946) is an American educator who was the first lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009 as the wife of George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States. Bush was previously the fir ...

on 21 September 2006 at The Kennedy Center, in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

She closed the year by performing for

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

of the United Kingdom and

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is Queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. Camilla was raised in East Sussex and South Kensington i ...

on 30 October 2006, and again in China for the Chinese president on 23 November 2006. On 19 May 2007, Kiani performed at

Dead Sea The Dead Sea (; or ; ), also known by #Names, other names, is a landlocked salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east, the Israeli-occupied West Bank to the west and Israel to the southwest. It lies in the endorheic basin of the Jordan Rift Valle ...

in Jordan for 28 Heads of States at the

World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental organization, international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German ...

on the Middle East and North Africa. Her performance took place on the second day of the three-day event while American singer

Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of the Motown group Commodores; writing and recor ...

performed the first day. Among Kiani's setlist for the night was the Arabic song titled " Ah W Nos" by

Nancy Ajram Nancy Nabil Ajram (, ; born May 16, 1983) is a Lebanese singer, television personality, and businesswoman, dubbed by Spotify as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Arab Pop". With the support of her father, she began performing ...

which Kiani covered and then sang again the following year in Pakistan. In August 2007, Kiani was one of the headliners for the London Day Parade at

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster in Central London. It was established in the early-19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. Its name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, the Royal Navy, ...

, London which was broadcast by

Geo TV Jang Media Group (), also known as Geo Group, is a Pakistani media conglomerate and a subsidiary of Dubai-based company Independent Media Corporation. It has headquarters in Printing House, Karachi. It is the publisher of the Urdu language new ...

to celebrate 60 years of Independence for Pakistan. Kiani was the only singer who sang completely live that day. She was also part of closing the show with the popular patriotic song "Jeevay Pakistan" alongside

. Kiani has continued performing throughout Pakistan for various companies, including

and

Samsung Samsung Group (; stylised as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational manufacturing Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in the Samsung Town office complex in Seoul. The group consists of numerous a ...

. Most notably, in 2016 Kiani performed to positive reviews at the first Inter Provincial Games in Pakistan, initiated by President Mamnoon Hussain as a sporting event to support the male and female athletes of Pakistan. At the end of 2016, upon the Turkish President Erdoğan's arrival to Pakistan, Kiani was invited to perform at the historic Lahore Fort, performing along with folk legend Arif Lohar to welcome the world leader. Kiani's performance was noted as "enthralling" and "melodious." In 2022, Kiani took the stage at Expo 2020 Dubai at the DEC Arena to represent Pakistan to a sold-out crowd. '' Gulf Business'' noted Kiani's performance as a musical highlight of the Expo. Kiani was presented with a tour of the Pakistan Pavilion at the world event in which she was quoted as saying, "It's about time that we need to show the world who we are and where we are heading. We are people full of love and we have our rich cultural background and people need to see that."

Philanthropy and social causes

In March 2007, Kiani was one of the many artists featured in a widely popular track called "Yeh Hum Naheen". In this song, various Pakistani artists joined to send out a message that the stereotype of Pakistanis is not correct and that they oppose

terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...

. The song also conveys an

anti-terrorism Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and intelligence agencies use to co ...

sentiment in the music video and supported the anti-terrorism campaign, Yeh hum naheen, which Kiani is heavily involved with. Other artists in the song include

Shafqat Amanat Ali Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan (; ; born 26 February 1965) is a Pakistani pop and classical singer, songwriter, and composer belonging to the Patiala Gharana tradition of music. He was the lead vocalist of the Pakistani pop rock band Fuzön until ...

and the Strings duo. The song was picked up by international networks such as

Fox News The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...

and

and amassed a significant number of downloads. In August 2010, Kiani and her siblings worked with local Pakistanis along with the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...

to provide clothing, water, food and shelter to the flood victims of Pakistan following the devastating

2010 Pakistan floods The floods in Pakistan began in late July 2010, resulting from heavy monsoon rains in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab (Pakistani province), Punjab and, Balochistan, Pakistan, Balochistan regions of Pakistan, which affected the Indus Riv ...

. Kiani also appeared in

telethon A telethon (a portmanteau of "television" and "marathon") is a televised fundraising event that lasts many hours or days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political or other cause. Most telethons feature heavy solicitatio ...

"Pukaar" along with

Pop star A pop icon is a celebrity, character, or object whose exposure in popular culture is regarded as constituting a defining characteristic of a given society or era. The usage of the term is largely subjective since there are no definitively object ...

to appeal for donations. In collaboration with

, Kiani made visits to

Multan Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...

Relief Camp, Basti Kalraywala, Muzaffarabad and other flood hit areas, personally distributing goods to the affectees. On 8 November 2010, Kiani was appointed

Goodwill ambassador after being recognized for her individual philanthropic efforts. Following being appointed, Kiani continued to construct housing facilities in Nowshera,

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ; , ; abbr. KP or KPK), formerly known as the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Northern Pakistan, northwestern region of the country, Khyber ...

for the flood victims till she completed over 250 houses. Nowshera was one of the worst flood hit areas in the country. In the beginning of 2015, Kiani was chosen on to be one of

Pond's Pond's is an English brand of beauty and health care products, currently owned by Unilever. History Pond's Cream was invented in the United States as a patent medicine by pharmacist Theron T. Pond (1800–1852) of Utica, New York, in 1846. M ...

Miracle Mentors as an initiative to highlight and support strong women in the patriarchal Pakistani society alongside nine other renowned and influential women. Later that month Kiani stood up again to voice her views on women in leadership at the Women Leadership Summit 2015 with then wife of former cricketer

Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi (born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician, philanthropist, and former cricketer who served as the 19th prime minister of Pakistan from August 2018 until April 2022. He was the founder of the political party Pak ...

Reham Khan Reham Nayyar Khan (Urdu/Pashto: ; born 3 April 1973) is a British-Pakistani journalist, author, and filmmaker from Baffa, Pakistan. She is a former wife of Imran Khan, who later became Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2018. The publication of ...

and various other women who had achieved success in their respective fields including Muniba Mazari and Nadia Jamil. The summit brought international and local voices together as an act towards shedding light to the issue of gender discrimination in the workplace. Kiani works regularly with the Edhi Foundation and has been involved with many other charitable organizations, including Muslim Hands, SOS Villages and

UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...

. She has also campaigned and been the ambassador for Shaukat Khanum,

Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs), focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. It began as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief ...

International, and since 2010 the United Nations. In November 2015 it was announced that Kiani would speak at TEDX Kinnaird on the role of women in Pakistani society. After taking a stance with the award-winning project, Udaari that highlighted the social issue of sexual abuse against children in the Pakistani community in 2016, Kiani took a stance against the issue again in 2017. Kiani gained attention when criticizing actor

Yasir Hussain Yasir Hussain () is a Pakistani screenwriter, actor, director, playwright and host from Karachi best known for his comic roles. He hosted ''The After Moon Show'' on Hum TV. He is also known for playing the antagonist in the 2018 social drama ' ...

at the 5th annual Hum TV Awards for joking about child molestation. In a statement on social media, Kiani stated that the comments made by Hussain were "disgusting," while also taking a stance against the entertainment industry for supporting the actor. In July 2017, Kiani teamed up with

Nestlé Nestlé S.A. ( ) is a Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. It has been the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other metrics, since 20 ...

to introduce socially responsible initiatives in Pakistan regarding early childhood development. In August 2022, Kiani launched her project titled Vaseela-e-Raah to aid victims of the 2022 Pakistan floods in Balochistan and in South Punjab. Kiani led her humanitarian efforts through the flood relief campaign and provided food, tents and medical supplies including anti-snake venoms in flood-affected areas. The campaign’s social media updated the list of items needed for flood relief efforts, including waterproof tents, charpai (beds), and mosquito nets as half a million people in Pakistan were homeless by the floods impact. According to

Gulf News ''Gulf News'' is a daily English language newspaper published from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. First launched in 1978, it is distributed throughout the UAE and also in other Persian Gulf countries. Its online edition was launched in 1996. Thro ...

, Kiani sent dozens of trucks with supplies to the impacted regions, supplies that were collected and packaged by Hadiqa and her team based in Lahore. Kiani continued visiting the affected regions in the provinces of Balochistan and Punjab providing comfort and relief to the victims of climate disaster. "I am doing this as a Pakistani citizen, not as a politician, not for votes or anything else. This is my civic duty, this is your civic duty. Do your part" she stressed. By 1 March 2023, Kiani had completed the construction of 100 homes, one maternity center, one primary school and one grocery store in Tamboo Tehsil, Naseerabad district, Balochistan. 28 September 2023, Kiani shared via social media that she had completed the construction of 370 homes, 2 mosques, 1 maternity center and 1 grocery store in the Tamboo and Kundi village districts of the flood effected regions of Naseerabad, Balochistan. Surpassing Kiani's original goal of 200 homes. In the same post, Kiani announced that all funds from the campaign were utilized with transparency and the campaign is no longer accepting any donations. As of September 2023, Kiani is advocating for clean water plants and solar panels for sustainable recovery in the region.

''Pakistan Idol''

'' Pakistan Idol'' is a Pakistani reality singing competition that is part of the ''Idols'' franchise created by

Simon Fuller Simon Robert Fuller (born 17 May 1960) is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, and film and television producer. He is the creator of the Idols (franchise), ''Idols'' TV format, including the British series ''Pop Idol'' and the American ser ...

and owned by

19 Entertainment 19 Entertainment Inc. is a producer of entertainment properties for television with a focus on music owned by Sony Pictures Television through its nonfiction division. Founded by Simon Fuller in London in 1985, the company co-produced '' Pop Ido ...

and

FremantleMedia Fremantle Limited (), formerly FremantleMedia, is a British multinational television production and distribution company based in London. The company was founded as Pearson Television in 1993 when publishing and education company Pearson ...

. It is the 50th adaptation of the familiar reality competition format introduced in the British series ''

Pop Idol ''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer (or "pop idol") in the UK based on viewer voting and pa ...

'' in 2001. It was developed for the Pakistani entertainment market by

. The show brought together Junoon front man

Ali Azmat Ali Azmat Pacha (born 20 April 1966) is a Pakistani singer-songwriter, musician and actor. He is best known as the lead singer for the influential Sufi rock band Junoon and for his subsequent solo career later followed by a career as an act ...

, comic

Bushra Ansari Bushra Ansari () is a Pakistani actress, comedian, singer, and playwright in Punjabi and Urdu cinema, who started her career as a child performer in the 1960s. Ansari won numerous awards during her career, including the Presidential Pride of Per ...

, and Kiani as judges.

''Acting Career''

In January 2021, Kiani revealed that she will make her acting debut alongside Nauman Ijaz,

Sania Saeed Sania Saeed (born 28 August 1972) is a Pakistani actress and television host who works mainly in television and theatre. Saeed is the recipient of numerous accolades including one PTV Awards, four Hum Awards and four Lux Style Awards. She f ...

and Iqra Aziz in

's drama '' Raqeeb Se''. The drama was written by Bee Gul and directed by Kashif Nisar while Kiani sang and produced the OST written by her mother, Khawar Kiani. Kiani starred as the protagionist in the drama, portraying a battered mother named Sakina, and won critical praise for the performance. The drama garnered Kiani her first awards in the acting field and was noted as one of "The Best Dramas of 2021" In 2022, Kiani was awarded with Lux Style Award for Best TV Actress - Critics' choice and Best Emerging Talent in TV at the 21st Lux Style Awards for her performance in the series. Kiani's second drama premiered in October 2021 and paired Kiani with Bilal Abbas Khan. The drama was written by Sarwat Nazir directed by Danish Nawaz and produced by Momina Duraid Productions for

. DAWN Images wrote that the drama was an "attempt at redefining the 'leading lady' in Pakistani dramas". The drama received critical praise for its storyline and for Kiani's performance as Mehru. Dobara consistently topped the ratings charts and was noted of having an all-time high of 8.8 TRP rating in February 2021. In December 2021, Kiani signed her third script for

ARY Digital ''ARY Digital HD'' () is a Pakistani television network available in Pakistan. ARY Digital was founded by a Dubai-based holding company Pakistani businessman, Abdul Razzak Yaqoob and Salman Iqbal (ARY). The network is focused towards on Pak ...

titled "Pinjra." The script was the last script written by Asma Nabeel who lost her life to breast cancer in early 2021. The drama is produced by Shazia Wajahat and Wajahat Rauf and was on-aired in 2022. Her most recent drama titled "'' Hadsa''" (2023) follows the story of an unfortunate yet strong woman named Taskeen who was living a happy life until a sudden tragedy hit her life. The broadcasting of this drama on Geo TV got halted due to some controversies surrounding the drama but the ban lifted afterwards and it is currently being on-aired on Geo TV again.

Recognition & Legacy

In March 2006, Kiani was presented with the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan, one of the highest civil awards of the country, in acknowledgement of her services in the field of music and for shining an encouraging light on the country for over a decade. The award was announced on 14 August 2005 but the ceremony was performed on 23 March of the next year. In 2015, Kiani was declared as one of "Pakistan's Most Powerful and Influential Women" of all time by

The News International ''The News International'', published in broadsheet size, is one of the largest English language newspapers in Pakistan. It is published daily from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/ Islamabad. An overseas edition is published from London th ...

under the

umbrella. On 15 August 2015, ''Daily Times'' Kiani as the 15th part of their 30 name list of celebrated Pakistanis who have brought a great deal of pride for their country, other names on the list titled "Pride of Pakistan" included

winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy,

Malala Yousafzai Malala Yousafzai (; , pronunciation: ; born 12 July 1997) is a Pakistani female education activist, film and television producer, and the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate at the age of 17. She is the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history, ...

, and national hero

Abdul Sattar Edhi Abdul Sattar Edhi (; 28 February 1928 – 8 July 2016) was a Pakistani Humanitarianism, humanitarian, Philanthropy, philanthropist and Asceticism, ascetic who founded the Edhi Foundation, which runs the world's largest ambulance network, along ...

. In April 2015, Kiani headlined the Music Mela and introduced her new Qawwali sound at the 3-day festival arranged by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad. The "Pop Queen" of Pakistan debuted herself as a

Qawwali Qawwali is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing originating in the Indian subcontinent. Originally performed at Sufi shrines throughout the Indian subcontinent, it is famous throughout Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and has ...

artist to positive feedback Upon the end of the Mela, Kiani announced that she would be working on her sixth studio album titled ''Wajd''. In December 2021, Kiani was listed as one of the Top Global Asian Celebrities by Eastern Eye, a UK publication. Kiani joined the list with Riz Ahmed, Mindy Kaling and

. In May 2022, Kiani was honoured by the global music streaming platform

with a digital billboard in

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...

in New York City for her contribution to the global music industry and in support of her seventh album titled VASL. Earlier in the year, Spotify stated "A trailblazer, an icon, and a champion for women's independence, Hadiqa Kiani is undoubtedly one of the most prolific names in Pakistani music history. Her career has evolved remarkably over the past three decades; always staying true to herself, she has given pre-eminent music to the industry in her soulful voice. Apart from her seven hit albums, she has performed in various languages, regionally covering almost all native local languages from the beautiful Saraiki to the complex Dogri and internationally taking on everything from Mandarin Chinese to French." In 2023, Kiani made Dawn Images' 'IT LIST' for her contributions to music, television and philanthropy. Kiani continues to serve as a role model for young women in Pakistan, artists

Arooj Aftab Arooj Aftab (; born March 11, 1985) is a Pakistani-American singer, composer, and producer. She has worked in various musical styles and idioms, including jazz and minimalism. Aftab was nominated for the Best New Artist award and won the Best ...

, Shae Gill and Momina Mustehsan have cited Kiani as an inspiration for their musical ambitions and praised her artistry. In December 2024, Hadiqa Kiani was included on the

's '' 100 Women'' list. The list recognized 100 women BBC deemed "inspiring and influential" from around the world. Kiani was included for her contributions to pop music and her dedication to philanthropic efforts during the 2022 floods.

Personal life

Kiani was the sole caretaker of her mother, Khawar Kiani, who was paralyzed since 2006 and passed away on 14 October 2022. Upon Khawar's passing, it was reported that the entertainment industry and the country mourned her loss as she was the writer of the "biggest songs in Pakistani music history" including Kiani's "Boohey Barian" and the Kiani &

collaboration for

titled "Aas Pass" Kiani adopted her son, Naad-e-Ali, in 2005 from the Edhi Foundation after the 2005 earthquake. Later, she married a UK-based Afghan businessman, Syed Fareed Sarwary. In 2008, she divorced Sarwary.

Discography

*''Raaz'' – 1995 *''Roshni'' – 1998 *''Rung'' – 2002 *''Rough Cut'' – 2007 *''Aasmaan'' – 2009 *''Wajd'' – 2017 * ''Vasl'' – 2022

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kiani, Hadiqa 1974 births Punjabi-language singers Pakistani pop singers 20th-century Pakistani women singers 20th-century Pakistani singers Pakistani musicians People from Rawalpindi District Living people Pakistani guitarists Pakistani folk singers Recipients of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz Kinnaird College for Women University alumni Government College University, Lahore alumni Performers of Sufi music Pakistani qawwali singers Nigar Award winners Folk-pop singers 21st-century Pakistani women singers 21st-century Pakistani singers