For Bilal Maqsood, one of Strings’ most memorable early moments didn’t happen on stage — it happened in the audience at a Vital Signs concert.

Maqsood recently shared the memory on Instagram, recalling how Strings, then still a new band, attended Vital Signs shows as fans and had never met Junaid Jamshed, Salman Ahmad or the other members.

In his caption, Maqsood wrote: “Strings was a brand new band. And this was the concert where, for the very first time, we were noticed and appreciated by the Vital Signs!”

According to Maqsood, the clip now circulating on Junoon’s Instagram and Facebook pages is actually from a Vital Signs performance from 1989.

He recalled what happened during the concert as the band performed for the crowd.

“The four of us were sitting in the audience and they had no idea who we were. We had never met Junaid, Salman or any of the members. We were simply there as fans of the Vital Signs and at that time, a music channel was also airing a few episodes of us,” he said.

At one point, the music stopped and Junaid Jamshed addressed the audience. Maqsood remembered the singer speaking about a relatively new band whose music the group had recently heard.

“The concert is happening and in the middle, the music stopped and Junaid says, ‘We heard a band recently named Strings and their music is so great and we really enjoyed listening’. And we are literally sitting in the audience watching them and started screaming from the joy,” he said.

The moment was followed by a conversation between Maqsood and Jamshed. “And then later when we spoke to Junaid, he said he really wanted to perform their song Jab Se Tumko Maine but they did not have time to practice,” he added.

The concert took place during a period when Pakistan’s contemporary music scene was beginning to develop a distinct identity, with a new generation of bands emerging alongside established acts. “This was a time in Pakistan where a new chapter of music emerged. A new era was starting,” he said.

Strings would go on to build a lasting legacy of their own, while Vital Signs became one of the defining bands of the period. Other groups, including Junoon, Awaz and Barbarians, also emerged around the same time, although many of the bands formed during that era eventually disappeared from the scene.

For Maqsood, the memory remains tied to a much earlier stage of that musical journey, when Strings were still finding their footing and attending concerts as listeners rather than performers.

Decades later, the recollection offers a glimpse into the excitement surrounding Pakistan’s emerging band culture — a period when young musicians were beginning to find their audiences and a new chapter in the country’s music scene was taking shape.

Read more: Bilal Maqsood makes a musical comeback with the new track ‘O’re Saajna’

Atif Aslam has offered his fans the very first glimpse of his forthcoming music video for the track “Hun Ishq Main.” He also confirmed that acclaimed actor Yumna Zaidi will be featuring as the female lead in the visual project.

Atif took to Instagram to share the official poster, in which both he and Yumna Zaidi are seen standing beside a sports car. The poster provides fans with a preview of the overall aesthetic and tone of the music video.

The announcement generated significant excitement among Atif’s devoted followers, who are widely known as the Aadeez. Numerous fans expressed their delight at seeing Atif return to music with a fresh project.

The music video has been directed by filmmaker Saife Hasan, which has further heightened fans’ interest in the upcoming release.

“Hun Ishq Main” is part of Atif Aslam’s new album titled “Subah Aye Na.” This album holds particular significance as it marks his first full studio album in nearly two decades. His previous full-length album, “Meri Kahani,” was originally released in 2008.

Throughout his career, Atif has delivered numerous hit songs, including beloved tracks such as “Tere Bin,” “Pehli Nazar Mein,” and “Dil Diyan Gallan.” He has also performed several iconic renditions on Coke Studio, among them “Tajdar-e-Haram,” “Jal Pari,” and “Man Aamadeh Am.” Several of these performances have gone on to accumulate hundreds of millions of views on YouTube.

The song “Hun Ishq Main” is already accessible on all major music streaming platforms. The forthcoming music video will offer audiences a visual narrative to complement the track.

This project also represents the first on-screen collaboration between Atif Aslam and Yumna Zaidi. Their pairing has quickly become a major talking point among fans. Many are excited to witness one of Pakistan’s most celebrated singers joining forces with one of the country’s leading television actors.

Yumna Zaidi is herself a highly accomplished performer and holds the record for the most Lux Style Awards won by any actor. She rose to particular prominence through her performance in the hit drama “Tere Bin.” She made her feature film debut in 2024 with the project “Nayab.”

Atif and Yumna have not yet disclosed any specific details regarding the storyline of the music video or announced an official release date. For now, the poster remains the first official look at their collaboration, and fans are eagerly awaiting the video’s arrival.

Read more: Atif Aslam Says He Misses His Indian Fans

Indian singer and actress Sunanda Sharma has shared a video of herself singing the Saraiki song “Chalray Chalray Wal”, praising the language for its beauty.

She posted the clip on her Instagram stories with the caption, “Beauty of Saraiki”.The song was originally written and performed by Pakistani folk singer Shafaullah Khan Rokhri. The phrase “chalray chalray wal” refers to flowing, wavy or softly curled locks of hair.

Rokhri was one of the most prominent voices in Saraiki and Punjabi folk music. He began his career in the 1980s after leaving a job with the Punjab Police to pursue singing, and went on to become one of the most popular folk singers from south Punjab.

Over his career, he released numerous albums and became known for hits such as “Sanwal”, “Changa Sada Yar Aen” and “Naway Sajan Bana Laye Nay”.

He continued performing until his death on in August 2020.

While his son, Zeeshan Khan Rokhri, has since carried forward his musical legacy, Sharma, on the other hand, is a Punjabi singer and actress known for songs including “Patake”, “Morni” and “Jaani Tera Naa”.

She rose to prominence after covers of Punjabi songs she uploaded online went viral, before making her singing debut with “Billi Akh” in 2016. She went on to release the hit single “Patake” in 2017, which crossed over 200 million views on YouTube, and later expanded into acting with her debut film “Sajjan Singh Rangroot” alongside Diljit Dosanjh.

She has also lent her voice to Bollywood tracks, including “Tere Naal Nachna” and “Poster Lagwa Do”.

Read more: Indian singer Ammy Virk praises Ahsan Khan, Urwa Hocane for Aap Ki Izzat