Mirawas

{{Infobox comedian

| name = Mirawas

| image = Mirawas profile (cropped).jpeg

| alt =

| caption = Mirawas in 2015

| birth_name = Hayatullah Khan

| birth_date = {{Birth year|1955}}

| birth_place = Tangi, Pakistan

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|04|03|1955|df=y}}

| death_place = Tangi, Pakistan

| years_active = 1970–2024

| genre = Comedy

}}

Hayatullah Khan (1955 – 3 April 2025), known professionally as Mirawas ({{langx|ur|میراوس}}), was a Pakistani stand-up comedian and singer known for his social commentary.{{Cite web |last=Shinwari |first=Sher Alam |date=1 January 2018 |title=Pashto comedian Mirawas brings out book of smiles |url=https://images.dawn.com/news/1179160 |website=Images}}{{Cite news |date=24 February 2017 |title=Pashto singer mesmerises young Edwardians |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1316685 |access-date=5 July 2020 |publisher=dawn.com}}{{Cite news |last=Riaz Ahmad |date=30 August 2013 |title=End of an era: Fading demand for cassettes a reel loss for Pashto music |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/597580/end-of-an-era-fading-demand-for-cassettes-a-reel-loss-for-pashto-music |access-date=5 July 2020 |publisher=tribune.com.pk}} During his career spanning six decades, he appeared on numerous television and radio shows and produced over 500 cassettes and 800 comedy albums. His later years were marked by financial struggles and health challenges.

Early life

Born as Hayatullah Khan in Tangi, Charsadda, Mirawas began telling jokes in his childhood. By the ninth grade, he hosted weekly joke sessions for schoolchildren, earning a local reputation as a comic. Hailing from a farming family, he often entertained labourers and farmers with impromptu performances which were known for blended humour with social commentary.{{Cite web |last=Ali Tareen |first=Sabz |date=4 April 2025 |title=Famous Pashto comedian Mirawas passes away |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1297698-famous-pashto-comedian-mirawas-passes-away |website=thenews.com.pk}}

Career

Mirawas's more widespread career as a comedian began in the 1980s.{{Cite web |date=3 April 2025 |title=Pashto comedian Mirawas passes away |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2537754/pashto-comedian-mirawas-passes-away |access-date=4 April 2025 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}} During the decade, he campaigned on PTV against drug addiction.

He appeared in numerous shows, radio and TV programmes,{{Cite news |date=15 November 2016 |title=ڈسٹرکٹ ناظم دیر پائین نے یوتھ اور چلڈرن فیسٹیول کا افتتاح کردیا |trans-title=District Nazim Dir Payen inaugurated Youth and Children's Festival |url=https://www.urdupoint.com/pakistan/news/dir/national-news/live-news-793324.html |access-date=5 July 2020 |publisher=urdupoint.com}} and performed abroad on stage in about 20 countries.

After retirement, he ran the roadside Mirawas Hotel in Ghazi Beg in the Mohmand Agency tribal area.{{Cite news |last=ہارون رشید |date=5 September 2005 |title='ایک کپ چائےاور تین لطیفےمفت' |trans-title=A cup of tea and three jokes for free |url=https://www.bbc.com/urdu/entertainment/story/2005/09/050905_mirawas_peshawer_zs.shtml |access-date=5 July 2020 |publisher=BBC Urdu}}

Literary work

Mirawas authored two books, the first of which was published in the 1980s. His second book, Gap da Mirawas, included "parodies of famous Pashto and Urdu songs", and "satiric and humorous poems".

Social impact and style

Mirawas's comedy was typically unscripted and often included commentary relied on real-life observations. His jokes often targeted social ills, from drug addiction to academic pressure.

On the importance of comedy, Mirawas, said, "An hour of fun can erase months of depression. Even children go to school with slumped faces—we've forgotten to laugh."

Later life and death

In his later years, Mirawas suffered from diabetes and kidney disease. A 2024 appeal for medical aid revealed his financial struggles, though he ultimately received donations from fans and peers.{{Cite web |last=Shinwari |first=Sher Alam |date=21 May 2024 |title=Ailing comedian seeks help |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1834689 |website=DAWN.COM}} He died in Tangi, Charsadda on 3 April 2025.

Aftab Sherpao, leader of the Qaumi Watan Party, called his death a "loss to satire," praising his ability to "highlight societal flaws with laughter". Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also expressed his condolences on his death.{{Cite web |title=Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi Condoles Demise Of Comedian Mirawas |url=https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/-governor-khyber-pakhtunkhwa-faisal-karim-kun-1956059.html |website=UrduPoint}} Fans likened him to the "Umer Sharif of Pashto," lamenting inadequate institutional support for his art.