Another year, another cultural asset lost to time. Veteran artist Suriyya Khanum, also known by her stage name Mahjabeen Qazalbash, passed away in Peshawar.
Staff at the Lady Reading Hospital confirmed that the famed Pashto folk singer breathed her last at the hospital.
Mahjabeen Qazalbash’s two sons and a daughter mourn her death as the artist lost her battle to heart disease. She had been admitted to the LRH on January 1st with heart complications.
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Since then she had been placed on a ventilator. Eventually, the singer passed away and her funeral prayers were held on Thursday in Peshawar.
Many members of Pakistan’s entertainment fraternity offered condolences. Artistes, writers, and fans were grief-stricken.
Despite sympathies for the bereaved family members, there’s no changing that Qazalbash’s death is the loss of a national treasure.
About Suriyya Khanum AKA Mahjabeen Qazalbash
This artist has remained a key figure in Pakistan’s culture and art scene. She remained an active part of cultural events except for a period during the 80s when her husband, Amanullah Orakzai AKA Aimal Khan, died.
Following the death of her husband, she focused on her children.
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Mahjabeen Qazalbash is the recipient of numerous awards, including the President’s Pride of Performance. She even has the title of ‘Bulbul-e-Sarhad’ to her name for her melodious voice. She has a distinct ‘velvety voice‘.
Owing to her songs in a wide range of languages she enjoyed a large fanbase. Mahjabeen has voiced tracks in Urdu, Punjabi, Seraiki, Hindko, Persian and Turkish in addition to Pashto.
She also worked in Pashto plays but remained focused on her singing art.
