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He was born Ghulam Muhammad in 1926 at Basti Tambu Wali, near Sanawan on the edge of the Thal, in what is now Kot Addu District. As a child he fell seriously ill; on spiritual advice his mother renamed him — the story is that he was said to look like a Pathan — and Pathanay Khan he stayed. His father was Khameesa Khan, and his first teacher was Baba Mir Khan.
One recent profile gives his birth as 1920 at a different village near Sanawan; the national news agency, Dawn and most references give 1926 at Basti Tambu Wali.
Farid's kafis
His repertoire was Sufi poetry, above all the kafis of Khwaja Ghulam Farid, along with Shah Hussain, Bulleh Shah and others. Among the pieces most tied to his voice are “Meda Ishq Vi Toon”, “Chheena Een Chhaneeda Yaar”, “Peelu Pakkian Ni” and “Jindari Lutti”.
Radio Pakistan Multan made him known, and he credited it for his recognition. In the 1970s Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto invited him to Islamabad through the Punjab governor, Ghulam Mustafa Khar — sources differ on the year. He received the Pride of Performance in 1979. His first album, “Mein Vee Jana Jhok Ranjhan”, came out in 1984; his last, “Kaafi”, in 1999.
Buried in Kot Addu
He died in Kot Addu on 9 March 2000 after a long illness and is buried there. Each March the town marks the anniversary. At the 25th, on 10 March 2025, local singers, his family and the Deputy Commissioner gathered, and his son Iqbal Pathanay Khan sang his father's kafis.
Sources
Facts in this story come from the sources below. Spotted an error? Write to hello@kotaddu.pk.
