Ubaidullah Jan


Ubaidullah Jan Kandaharai, or simply known as Obaidullah Jan, was a prominent Pashto singer from Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was popular among the Pashtuns in southern Afghanistan and in Quetta, Pakistan. He brought some new style to traditional Pashto music and was considered a classical singer. He recorded many albums with lyrics written by Sayed Abdul Khaliq Agha, a famous Pashto poet from Kandahar, Afghanistan. The lyrics were sometimes relating to Islam and Afghanistan.
Obaidullah Jan's songs are enjoyed by many of the Pashtun diaspora around the world, especially the Pashtuns from the Kandahar-Quetta region and those living in Karachi, Pakistan. He was also recognized by other Afghans who understood Pashto language.

Death

During the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, Ubaidullah Jan was secretly crossing the Durand Line into Pakistan with two females when he was murdered by a rogue commander of Ismatullah Muslim. It is believed that Ubaidullah Jan was about 32 years old at the time of death, and that the killing was over proceeds relating to his music. He was buried by Ismatullah Muslim's followers at an unknown place, but very likely somewhere in the Spin Boldak District of Kandahar Province.