Dust Division

Dust Division were a short-lived post-punk band from Quetta, Pakistan, formed in late 1979 by singer Salman Rafiq. After hearing Unknown Pleasures from a cousin who had returned from London, Rafiq became drawn to Joy Division’s sparse sound, emotional restraint and stark visual world. In Quetta, those influences became something dry, distant and worn down by heat, cheap equipment and late-night rehearsals.

Their only release, the 1980 cassette EP Pathway, was sung mostly in Pashto and contained three songs with English titles: “Pathway”, “Wind” and “Lost”.

Soon after the cassette appeared, Dust Division vanished from the local scene. Some say Rafiq left for Karachi. Others claim the remaining tapes were lost or simply copied until they fell apart.