| Obaidullah Jan Kandahari | |
| Birth Name: | Obaidullah Jan Kandahari |
| Birth Date: | 5 May 1951 |
| Birth Place: | Kandahar, Kingdom of Afghanistan |
| Death Place: | Spin Boldak, Democratic Republic of Afghanistan |
| Genre: | Ghazals, Classical |
| Occupation: | Afghan musician |
| Landscape: | yes |
| Instrument: | Dhol, Dilruba, Tabla, Harmonium |
| Years Active: | 1970s and early 1980s |
| Label: | |
| Past Members: | Abdul Baqi Dilresh, Abdul Khaliq Agha - (Pashto Poets) |
Obaidullah Jan Kandaharai (ps|عبیدالله جان کندهاری|translit=Obāidullāh Jān Kāndāhāri), or simply known as Obaidullah Jan, was a singer from Kandahar, Afghanistan.[1] He was popular among the Pashtuns in southern Afghanistan and in Quetta, Pakistan. He brought some new style to traditional Pashto music and was considered a classical singer. He recorded many albums with lyrics written by Sayed Abdul Khaliq Agha and Abdul Baqi Dilresh, famous Pashto poets from Kandahar.
Obaidullah Jan's songs are enjoyed by many of the Pashtun diaspora around the world, especially the Pashtuns from the Kandahar-Quetta region and those living in Karachi, Pakistan. He was also recognized by other Afghans who understood Pashto language. He was assassinated in 1983.
Abdul Baqi Dilresh, renowned by his poetic pseudonym "Dilresh," is a famous Pashto poet hailing from Kandahar, Afghanistan, and Quetta, Balochistan. Widely recognized for his contributions to Pashto Literature, Notably, the famous singer Obaidullah Jan Kandahari has lent his voice to around 400 songs written by Abdul Baqi Dilresh, and the acclaimed artists Nazia Iqbal & Naghma has interpreted a few of Dilresh's compositions, though these remain unpublished on the internet, reserved as personal expressions.
During the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, Ubaidullah Jan was secretly crossing the Durand Line into Pakistan with two females when he was murdered by a rogue commander of Ismatullah Muslim.[1] It is believed that Ubaidullah Jan was about 32 years old at the time of death, and that the killing was over proceeds relating to his music. He was buried by Ismatullah Muslim's followers at an unknown place, but very likely somewhere in the Spin Boldak District of Kandahar Province.