Who’s Who: Music in Pakistan

I first met M.A Sheikh in the late nineteen seventies as my interest in music grew beyond that of mere appreciation. I was looking for people who could help in developing my taste further and on being recommended I went to visit M. A Sheikh who had an office in the basement of Radio Pakistan Lahore. With regular visits I came to know of the setting up of the Classical Music Cell and its dramatic downturn in fortune with the change of government. The Classical Music Research Cell had been shut down after martial law had been imposed in nineteen seventy seven as an unnecessary drain on the national expenditure. Since the hired premises had to be vacated the question remained as to what was to become of the music, manuscripts, books and some equipment which had been collected so assiduously in the past year. It was lugged from one premise to another till finally a more permanent place in the basement of the Lahore Radio Station was settled for. During this series of very grave crises a small team maneuvered to ward off all the palpable threats. These few individuals had as if almost vowed not to let the Cell be closed down or fall in UN deserving hands. Principally through M.A.Sheikh’s efforts it managed to survive. I gradually came to appreciate the work being done by M.A Sheikh who really toiled for years in conditions which were far from ideal to save the collection of recorded material and the many rare and invaluable manuscripts which had been collected over time. .