Ayla Musharraf or Ayla Raza is a Pakistani woman who is known as the daughter of former army chief and president of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf. He is the Director of All Pakistan Music Conference (APMC), Karachi.
Wiki/Biography
Ayla Musharraf was born on Wednesday, February 18, 1970 (age 52 years; in 2022). Since childhood, he was interested in classical music. He started studying architecture at Dawood College of Engineering in Karachi. However, in the late 80s, when Karachi was hit by student unrest, Ayla moved to Lahore and enrolled herself at the National College of Arts (NCA), where she pursued a Bachelor of Architecture. A student at NCA, he spent his college days attending concerts organized by the All Pakistan Music Conference (APMC) and the Lahore Music Forum. He also studied classical music during his college days. Born into a family of music lovers, he attributes his inclination towards music to his paternal grandparents. His grandfather, Syed Musharraf, used to play the tabla, while his grandmother, Zarin Musharraf, played the harmonium. In addition, his father, Pervez Musharraf, loved ghazals, which he grew up listening to. After her marriage, she settled in Karachi, where she met Hayat Ahmed Khan (founder of APMC) at a dance party. During her meeting with Hayat, Ayla suggested the idea of organizing a concert in Karachi. He successfully persuaded Hayat and organized the first concert of APMC Karachi to come true in 2004. While talking about the same in an interview, he said,
Hayat sahib is kind and encouraging. He put me in touch with some classical music fans in Karachi, and also attended our inaugural event in the city.”
Family
Parents & Siblings
He was born into a Muslim family, who were also Sayyids, claiming descent from the Prophet Muhammad. Ayla Musharraf’s father, Pervez Musharraf, is a Pakistani politician and retired four-star general of the Pakistan Army, known for leading the Kargil War against India in 1999. He served as the 10th President of Pakistan from 2001 until his resignation in 2008. Ayla’s mother’s name is Sehba Musharraf. His grandfather, Syed Musharraf, was in the foreign service. Ayla’s younger brother, Bilal Musharraf, is a Pakistani actuary (chartered accountant) and an educationist.
Ayla Musharraf with her parents and brother
Ayla Musharraf’s parents, Pervez Musharraf and Sehba Musharraf
Husband & Son
Ayla Musharraf is married to Asim Raza, a Pakistani film and TV commercial director and producer. Before venturing into film production and directing, Asim worked as an architect with the architectural firm Arshad Shahid Abdullah (PVT) LTD. Ayla Raza met Asim at Dawood College of Engineering in Karachi, where both studied architecture.
Ayla Musharraf and Asim Raza
Together they have two daughters, Maryam Raza and Zainab Raza. Maryam Raza ventured into the entertainment industry as a director in 2021 through the music video of the song Pyaar Da Meter by Taha G. Meanwhile, Zainab Raza styled the cast for the video.
Ayla Musharraf with her daughters, Maryam Raza and Zainab Raza
Career
Ayla started her career as an architect. However, he quit his job in 2010. Since then, he has been actively working towards the promotion of traditional performing arts at a non-profit organization, All Pakistan Music Conference (APMC), Karachi. Previously he was the Secretary General of APMC. Later, he became a director.
Controversy
Facing Life Threats From Terrorist Organizations
In July 2013, Ayla Raza faced a threat to her life in Karachi. Reportedly, intelligence agencies informed the Sindh Government that a banned terrorist organization had hatched a plan to target Musharraf’s daughter in Karachi. His father, who later returned from four years in exile, faced similar threats from the Pakistani Taliban. At the time, he was under house arrest in his luxurious farmhouse on the outskirts of Islamabad. Pervez Musharraf is accused of conspiring to assassinate former two-time prime minister Benazir Bhutto in December 2007 and for the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti, a nationalist leader from Balochistan province during a military operation in 2006.
Facts/Trivia
- Ayla is also a student of the classical genre of Khayal music, under the guidance of Ustad Naseer-ud-Din Saami of Qawwal Bachcha/Dilli Gharana.
- An advocate of women’s rights, she was a speaker at the 3rd Athena40 Global Conversation: ‘Women’s Leadership in Times of Crisis.’ Women from across eight countries participated in this synchronized online conversation and debated the role of women as effective leaders during the crisis, as well as local challenges that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.
- He took a six-month course in Persian.
- He is a voracious reader and enjoys reading fiction and non-fiction.
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
