Altaf Hamid Rao;
MIRPUR (AJK): Legendary Kashmir-origin Pakistani artist and painter Aurangzeb Bashir Rao – famously known as A.Z Shama Rao died in Sialkot after prolonged illness on Saturday. He was 72.
Late Shama Rao, the elder brother of Islamabad-based renowned real-estate tycoon Arif Javed Rao and Switzerland-based retired Paksitani diplomat Tariq Javed Rao and first cousin of veteran senior Kashmiri Journalist Altaf Hamid Rao, (Retd) Director National Highway Authority Rao Naeem Mahmood Khan and (Retired) Secretary Transport of AJK govt. Rao Adil Mahmood Khan, earned the fame and distinction the world over particularly in acknowledgement of his marvelous pieces of his art including his smallest paintings on single grains of rice and pulses.
The departed artist, formerly the native of Jammu city of Indian held Kashmir, secured the Awards Including Gold Medals from various heads of the states including former US Presidents Ronald Reagan and President Clinton, former deposed King of Iran Muhammad Raza Shah Pehlvi, King of Sultanat of Oman Sultan Qaboos, former Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, former President of Pakistan (late) Gen. Zia ul Haq, former AJK President late Maj. Gen. Muhammad Hayat Khan and scores of other heads of states and distinguished world-fame personalities in acknowledgement of his unique piece of art including ‘Kalma e Tayyba’ on a single grain of Rice and pics of founder of Pakistan Quaid e Azam and Allama Iqbal on a single grain of Pulse besides several other similar paintings.
He was laid to Rest in Sialkot this evening in presence of hundreds of his mourners from the city and various parts of AJK, belonging to various sections of the civil society, including from literary quarters and the Jammu Kashmir refugees circles.