Urain Ge


"Urain Ge" is a 2015 Pakistani song, written and produced by Ali Zafar. It was released in honour of the victims of the 2014 Peshawar school massacre, and to support the campaign titled 141 Schools for Peace with The Citizens Foundation.

Background

In 2014, Pakistan faced military and political instability, when Pakistan Armed Forces launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan against various groups, including Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, in the wake of terrorism.
Later, on 16 December 2014, six gunmen attacked inside the Army [Public Schools & Colleges System|Army Public School, Peshawar], killing 132 children and 9 school staff members, making it one of the world's List of [school massacres by death toll|deadliest school massacres]. Pakistan Army's Special Service Group launched a quick rescue operation and killed the terrorists. They rescued an estimated 960 people, though 139 were injured. Omar Khalid Khorasani, TTP's spokesperson, took responsibility for the attack and claimed it was a revenge against the Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
The school reopened on 12 January 2015 with ensured security, and staff and students reportedly showing "high spirits".

Songwriting and recording

Ali Zafar cancelled his concert tours and events soon after the massacre, including the one in Durban, South Africa, on New Year's Eve. Weeks later, he went to his studio to write and record the song "Urain Ge". It was released on 7 February 2015 via ARY Digital Network. Musician Asad Ahmed shared that he was hired to play the bass only, but he changed the orchestration into electric guitars.
To record the music video, he gathered several celebrities from the country at a studio in Korangi, Karachi. They included Aamina Sheikh, Ahsan Khan, Aijaz Aslam, Ali Azmat, Ali Kazmi, Anwar Maqsood, Asad Ahmed, Behroze Sabzwari, Bilal Lashari, Bushra Ansari, Fahad Mustafa, Farhad Humayun, Fawad Khan, Fariha Pervez, Goher Mumtaz, Hadiqa Kiani, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Haroon Rashid, Haroon Shahid, Humaima Malick, Humayun Saeed, Imran Abbas, Jawed Sheikh, Junaid Khan, Junaid Younus, Mahira Khan, Meesha Shafi, Mehreen Raheal, Mehwish Hayat, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Mohammed Ali Shehki, Mohib Mirza, Saba Qamar, Sanam Saeed, Sahira Kazmi, Sajid Hasan, Sajjad Ali, and Shoaib Malik. They also commented about the need to tribute the victims and aspire for the better future of the country, where no mother is separated from her child and love prevails over the pain. Shehzad Roy also recorded and sent his video separately.
Shahzeb Jillani wrote in BBC News that the song starts in a "grave" mood, but the rising tempo transforms the music into "something uplifting". Anum Rehman Chagani of Dawn believed that the song may "become the anthem for hope for our nation". Besides the showbiz unity in the music video, Zafar also appreciated the political unity after a long dispute in the aftermath of the Peshawar attack. He also urged a nationwide unity, so to put a positive image of the country towards peace and progress in the world map.

Personnel

  • Video conceived and produced by Ali Zafar
  • Directed by Abdullah Haris and Bilal Khan
  • Public relations: Ammara Hikmat
  • Flute/Orchestral arrangement: Baqir Abbas
  • Programming: Badshah
  • Electric guitar: Asad Ahmed
  • Acoustic guitar: Danyal Zafar
  • Director of photography: Saif and Sabeeh Khan
  • Editing: Mukhtar Ali Awan and Abdullah Haris
  • Rotoscoping: Adnan Ayub
  • Post-production: 12Gates
  • Hair and makeup: N-Pro by Nabila

Influence

The Citizens Foundation, an educational nonprofit organization that builds schools for underprivileged children in Pakistan, partnered with the 141 Schools for Peace campaign, and decided the locations across Pakistan to build the schools. The budgetary cost was estimated to be. Ali Zafar, whose parents are educationalists, also wanted to contribute to education and committed to supporting the cause by donating all proceeds from the song "Urain Ge". Their collective aim was to build 141 schools and dedicate each school to a victim of the Peshawar attack.
At per legal sale of the song, the Ali Zafar Foundation donated about to the cause. By the tenth anniversary in 2024, TCF announced that the mission to establish 141 school units had been completed.