The year was 2001. Composer and keyboardist Faakhir took off on a solo flight to stardom as a singer. He encountered obstacles and raised many a brow on the way but in spite of the skepticism music lovers had high hopes for him. Today, with the success of his latest album Mantra , Faakhir is being dubbed ‘Pakistan’s latest pop sensation’.

Pop music is rapidly taking over the Pakistani music scene, despite the moral brigade and diktats of the clergy. “Pop, along with soft rock, is growing in popularity. It has developed in a very short span of time and shows more promise than even Indian pop music,” claims Saadia, 19, a student of business studies. Most of the songs are in Urdu set to western music. There is a lot of talent coming here. Music experts say there are about 15 established music bands and a dozen pop music stars in Pakistan today.

A far cry, all agree, from the early 1980s, when during President Zia-ul-Haq’s regime, listening to or creating pop music was aggressively discouraged. However, after the Music ‘89 show, aired on the government-owned Pakistan Television (PTV), who was also the official sponsors, things appeared to change. At the show, 30-somethings danced to the music of the then pop idols - Nazia and Zoheb Hassan, Ali Azmat and bands like the Vital Signs.

Pop star Fakhar-e-Alam aka Falam recently got married in Islamabad. His nikkah took place in Haram when both families performed Umrah in Ramadan. And Rukhsti function was held recently. Fakhir and many other celebrities and VIPs also attended his wedding. His pretty wife is daughter of TV newscaster Naseem Tariq. Valima was held in Lahore and now couple is in Mauritius for honeymoon. We congratulate Faakhar on his wedding and wish him all the best.

Indus Music (IM) will hold the first pop music awards ceremony in Pakistan at the Alhamra Arts Centre on July 24.

The channel has also signed an agreement with MTV whereby IM will broadcast old English songs in a show called ‘MTV Classics’, presented and produced in Pakistan.daily Times reported.

The IM music awards focus exclusively on the popular music scene in Pakistan. The awards target two specific areas of Pakistani music: the history of pop music in Pakistan and the new groups and singers that have performed on IM and new albums that have been released.

Unilever Pakistan formally announced , that the prestigious LUX Style Awards 2004 will be held on the April 24, 2004 and revealed the Viewers’ Choice Nominations.

LUX is a leading Pakistani soap brand. An icon of beauty, LUX has always been associated with film stars, style, and skin care. The LUX Style Awards is a logical continuation of LUX’s close association with glamour and allows it to strengthen its image in an exciting and involved way.

In 2004, the total number of awards is 15, out of which seven are “Viewers’ Choice Awards” and eight are “Judges Choice Awards”.