Dasht (, Dashh-th) ( Desert) is a 1993 Pakistani drama television series. It is a Balochi tribal love story directed by Abid Ali and F. H. Qureshi and written by Munnu Bhai. Noman Ijaz and Atiqa Odho acted in the lead roles alongside supporting cast of Ayub Khoso, Abid Ali, Noor Muhammad Lashari, Fazila Qazi, Naina, Asad Malik and Sabiha Khanum.
Dasht aired on 5 February 1993 on Pakistan's first private channel NTM, earning critical acclaim and was a major commercial success catapulting the onscreen pair of Odho and Ijaz to stardom. The audience appreciated their on-screen chemistry and the duo later worked together in several successful dramas including Nijaat (1993), Talaash (Telefilm 1994), Arzoo Jeenay Ki Tu Nahin (2014), and Khan (2017), and are often referred to as Pakistan television's most loved on-screen couple. The series was also the debut of Asad Malik's successful acting career.
The music was composed by Wajid Ali Nashad with the lyrics written by poet, critic, and playwright Atta Shad. The soundtracks of the series were also successful and popular. Odho's Balochi attire and jewelry and Ijaz's Balochi-style turban chaddar & Bughti Shalwar became a trend. Shugal Pakistan ranks the series amongst the "11 Unforgettable Classic Dramas of Pakistan".
The story is set among three warring tribes in rural Balochistan (in Pakistan). Born into this tribal warfare are Shahtaaj Atiqa Odho and Balaaj Noman Ejaz. Despite being surrounded by violence all their lives, both are gentle souls with a love of music and poetry. While both are from opposing tribes - they ultimately fall in love! Fearing that their union could unite two tribes, the head of the third tries everything to stop this from happening. The Drama was a tale of unrequited love and parental opposition while the culture, thinking, and issues of tribes in Balochistan served as sidelines of Shahtaaj's (Atiqa Odho) and Balaaj's (Nauman Ejaz) story of two youngsters from rival tribes who fall in love.. The plot was a modern-day take on classic tragic romance stories such as Layla and Majnun, Heer Ranjha, and Romeo and Juliet.
In 1993, the onscreen pair of Atiqa Odho & Nauman Ejaz "shot into stardom" following the release of Dasht. According to critics "The drama which proudly displayed Baloch traditions, was memorable in terms of its dialogues, plot twists, superb acting, cinematography, and music." Dasht was Abid Ali's first self-produced and self-directed drama serial which became a hit project of its time and this happened to be the first-ever private production in Pakistan.