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Momina Mustehsan
Mustehsan at Islamabad Airport in 2019
Born	(1992-09-05) 5 September 1992 (age 33) Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan
Alma mater	Stony Brook University
Occupations	Singer songwriter
Years active	2010–present
Musical career
Genres	Pop rock classical
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Musical artist

Momina Mustehsan (Urdu: مومنہ مستحسن; born 5 September 1992) is a Pakistani singer and songwriter.^[1][2][3] She studied biomedical engineering and applied mathematics at Stony Brook University, from where she graduated with double majors.^[4]

Mustehsan first gained attention as co-singer and writer of Farhan Saeed’s single "Pi Jaun" and later sang "Awari" for the Indian film Ek Villain (2014).^[5][6] She rose to prominence after her debut in Coke Studio season 9 (2016), where she performed the songs "Afreen Afreen" and "Tera Woh Pyar." Both became widely popular, with "Afreen Afreen" among the most-viewed Pakistani music videos on YouTube.^[2][7]

Her subsequent singles included "Aaya Na Tu" (2018), "Baari" (2019) and "Uchiyan Deewaran" (2020).^[8] She also contributed to the soundtrack of the television series Alif (2019). Alongside her music career, Mustehsan has spoken publicly on topics such as women’s roles in Pakistan and feminism.^[9][10]

Mustehsan has been recognised internationally. In 2017, the BBC listed her among its 100 most influential women, while Forbes included her in its "30 Under 30 Asia" list in 2018.^[11][12] In the same year, Stony Brook University named her among its "40 most successful graduates."^[13]

Mustehsan was born on 5 September 1992 in Quetta, Balochistan in a Shia Muslim family.^[1] Her father, Kazim Mustehsan, is a retired brigadier in the Pakistan Army and recipient of the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, while her mother, Huma Mustehsan, is a doctor. She has two brothers: Hashim, a doctor, and Haider, who has been involved in music and has worked as an intern in the UN’s Pakistan section.^[10] Owing to her father’s service, the family lived in various cities, including Multan, New York City, Paris and Kyiv, though Mustehsan mainly grew up in Islamabad.^[1] She studied at Lahore Grammar School before moving to the United States, where she completed double majors in biomedical engineering and applied mathematics at Stony Brook University in 2016.^[14][4]

Mustehsan received no formal training in music. She first performed in her school choir and later recorded a cover of Damien Rice’s "The Blower’s Daughter" in 2004.^[4][14] In 2011, she contributed the song "Sajna" for Junoon 20, the twentieth anniversary album of the band Junoon.^[15]

In 2012, she co-wrote and performed the single "Pee Jaun" with Farhan Saeed.^[16] The song was later reinterpreted in Nescafé Basement (2015), where she appeared alongside Hamza Tanveer.^[17]

In 2014, Mustehsan recorded vocals for "Awari," composed by the Pakistani band Soch, which was subsequently included in the Indian film Ek Villain.^[18][19] She later stated that she recorded the track independently while studying in New York and was unaware it was being selected for the film until after the process had begun.^[20]

In 2016, Mustehsan recorded her first song "Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay" for the romantic drama film Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay, and made her debut on Coke Studio as a featured artist in season 9.^{[21][22][23][24]} Her first song, "Afreen Afreen" with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan gained over 2.5 million views in its first day and later surpassing 300 million views on YouTube. The song also made her the second Pakistani artist to cross 100 million views on the platform.^{[25][26][27][28]} She also performed "Main Raasta", which she co-wrote, and a medley of two of Shuja Haider’s compositions: "Tera Woh Pyar (Nawazishein Karam)", with Junaid Khan and Asim Azhar.^[29][30] The latter has collectively received over 175 million views.^[31] Reflecting on the experience, Mustehsan stated: "It was very overwhelming for me because these are classics I am singing with very well-known singers. For me it was a great honour. I was also very nervous, I never get nervous for anything. But I got appreciated a lot once the songs were recorded."^[32][33][6]

Mustehsan later said she did not intend to pursue music as a career, explaining: "I don't think releasing number of albums defines a musician. I do music for myself and not for the masses. I'm not into the idea of being a celebrity or having people know or follow me."^[34]

In February 2017, she released the anthem for the Pakistan Super League franchise Islamabad United. Outlets such as The Express Tribune and Geo News noted the extensive use of auto-tune and gave negative reviews to the single, titled "Cricket Jorrey Pakistan" (Cricket Unites Pakistan).^[35][36] On 3 November, "Afreen Afreen" became the fastest Pakistani origin video to reach 100 million views on YouTube, and on 10 November became the most viewed Pakistani origin YouTube video, surpassing Atif Aslam's "Tajdar-e-Haram" and Imran Khan's "Amplifier".^[37][38] That same year, she appeared again on Coke Studio and recorded three songs, including the "Qaumi Taranah" (national anthem of Pakistan) with other featured artists of the season.^[39][40] Released on 14 August, the version was criticized by reviewers who wrote that it failed to "win hearts".^[41][42] Her other songs that season included "Muntazir", written by Strings and performed with Danyal Zafar, and the Sufi rock track "Ghoom Taana" alongside the band Irteassh. "Muntazir" received positive reviews and became one of the more widely viewed songs of the season, while "Ghoom Taana" received mixed responses but drew praise for Mustehsan and Irteassh’s vocal delivery.^[43][44][45]

In 2018, Mustehsan released the single "Aaya Na Tu" with Indian singer Arjun Kanungo.^[46][47] The track, composed by Kanungo and written by Kunaal Vermaa, was released under Universal Music India.^[8] The video was shot in Bangkok, and Mustehsan said the song addressed "rejection, pain and the burden of true love".^[48] Upon release, it trended on YouTube and gained over 70 million views.^[49]

In season 11, she performed Ahmed Rushdi's song "Ko Ko Korina", a remake of the 1966 film song Armaan, with Ahad Raza Mir. The rendition was widely criticized and became one of the most-disliked videos in the history of the show.^[50] The then-Minister for Human Rights, Shireen Mazari, described it as "horrendous".^[51] Waheed Murad's son Adil Murad also apologized publicly for permitting the remake.^[52] Her other season 11 releases included "Roye Roye", which received mixed reviews, some describing it as a "nostalgic revival of old school melodies" and others calling the lyrics clichéd.^[53][54] That year she also performed "Ishq Hoa Jo Tari" for the film Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2, composed by Sahir Ali Bagga, which became a commercial success.^[55]

In 2019, she collaborated again with Shuja Haider for the title song of the television series Alif.^[56] The track was positively reviewed by critics such as Sophia Qureshi from Masala!, who described it as "effortless" and memorable.^[57][58]

Later in 2019, she worked with Bilal Saeed on the music video "Baari", released under One Two Records. The song gained more than 90 million views on YouTube.^[59] A sequel, "Uchiyan Deewaran", followed in December 2020 and was viewed more than 16 million times within a week, receiving positive feedback.^[60][61]

In September 2016, Mustehsan announced her engagement to Ali Naqvi, a US based banker in California.^[62] The engagement ended in early 2017.^[63][64]

Mustehsan has supported several charitable causes, particularly those focused on the welfare of women in Pakistan.^[65] She has spoken in favor of education for girls, women's rights, and gender equality.^[66][67] She has also discussed mental illness and depression, sharing her own experiences of overcoming depression.^[68][69]

In 2018, responding to the family separation policy in the United States, she posted on Twitter that separating children from their families was "inhuman" and harmful.^[70]

In an online interview, Mustehsan stated that she had donated her earnings from 2016 to build water wells in the Thar Desert of Sindh.^[71] She has also discussed plans for distant education initiatives in rural areas and has supported polio awareness campaigns.^[72][73] In a 2016 interview, she described plans to provide learning videos and projectors to mosques in rural areas to expand access to education.^[34][9]

In 2017, Mustehsan participated in the United Nations Women "Beat Me" campaign, aimed at addressing domestic violence in Pakistan.^[9] During the campaign, she said:

"Do we hate our women? I don't think so. In fact, Pakistan has more women representation in government than the U.S., and we have twice elected a female head of state. Empowering women in Pakistan would mean raising them equal to boys, providing them the same education, giving them the same job opportunities, equal wages and equal respect."^[74]

In May 2018, Mustehsan appeared in a Coca-Cola advertisement alongside Sajal Aly, Ahad Raza Mir, Ali Rehman Khan, Sonya Hussain, Younis Khan, Ali Sethi and Gul Panra.^[75] The advertisement supported fundraising for the Edhi Foundation under the "Eidi for Edhi" campaign.^[76][77] She recited a portion of the poem "Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua" in Sindhi for the advertisement.^[78] Later, during Pakistan’s first live digital donation drive, she donated Rs. 1 million (US$3,600) to the foundation.^[79][80] That same month, she supported the "Taleem Do" initiative, a non-profit right to education program in Tharparkar.^[81]

Mustehsan is regarded as one of the prominent public figures in Pakistan.^[9] The 2016 release of "Afreen Afreen" brought her wide recognition as a singer.^[1] Her appearance and vocal style attracted attention from critics and audiences alike.^[82][9] Some commentators suggested that her screen presence contributed to her selection for the performance as well as to the public response.^[9][10][6] She has frequently appeared in lists of high-profile Pakistani celebrities, including compilations of notable public figures and most-followed personalities on social media.^[83][84] In 2017, the BBC included her in its 100 most influential women list.^[85][11] The following year she was listed in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia for 2018.^[86][87] In the same period, Stony Brook University named her among its "40 most successful graduates".^[13][88]

Mustehsan has been involved in commercial endorsements and brand partnerships in Pakistan.^[89] She was named an empowerment ambassador for the Pakistan Super League franchise Islamabad United and has worked with consumer brands in advertising campaigns.^[90][91] She performed at the fifth Hum Awards ceremony in 2017 and took part in promotional events such as the FIFA World Cup trophy tour stop in Pakistan in 2018.^[92][93][94]

• Momina Mustehsan at IMDb
• Momina Mustehsan on Facebook