Ghazal maestro Mehdi Hassan laid to rest

Collective prayers were said after his burial, attended by artists, politicians, renowned personalities.

KARACHI: Ghazal legend Mehdi Hassan was laid to rest on Friday at the Shah Muhammad graveyard located in North Nazimabad, Express News reported.

Volunteers from Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF), Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) welfare wing surrounded the graveyard and barred people from entering the premises in order to avoid any disruption.

Hassan had quit singing after suffering a massive stroke in 2001. His health deteriorated in 2011 and he passed away at the age of 85 in Karachi on June 13, 2012.

He had been under treatment at hospitals in Pakistan for a while, and there had also been reports of shifting him to India. He was admitted at a hospital in Karachi for the past couple of weeks after he had developed a chest infection and breathing problems.

Collective prayers were said after his burial, attended by artists, politicians and renowned personalities of the country.

His funeral prayers were held at Noorani Mosque.

Speaking to the media after the burial, Pakistani filmstar Nadeem said, “It was an honour for me that I picturised many songs sung by Mehdi sahib. As a matter of fact, it was him who drove my career in the forward direction. He might be gone but his songs and ghazals will remain in our hearts forever.”

Lyricist, scriptwriter Anwer Maqsood said, “After Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Sadequain and Noor Jehan, Mehdi sahib was one person who got the fame he deserved during his lifetime. Not many people can maintain the fame they acquire, but he did, till his last breath.”