Lady Diana of Southeast Asia

Nazia Hassan’s 10th anniversary today

Today, its 10th anniversary of iconic first Pakistani pop singer Nazia Hassan. She lived a very short life of just 35 years but climbed the highest peaks of name and fame in the music world. She was born on April 3, 1965 and due to cancer died on August 13, 2000.

Millions of music lovers across the world wept as they heard or read this news. Nazia Hassan at the tender age of thirteen won the hearts of millions of Asians around the world through her unique style of music. She will always be regarded as the undisputed pioneer of sub-continental pop music, selling a staggering 60 million records internationally in a career spanning two decades.

Her song "Aap Jaisa Koi" from the Indian film Qurbani made her a legend and pop icon in Pakistan and all of South Asia in the 1980s where she is admired and loved even today, several years after her death. She is also known as Lady Diana of Southeast Asia, as she was graceful, intelligent and beautiful person.Nazia Hassan has sold over 55 million copies worldwide.

She was best known with the titles of The Queen of Pop Singing and Sweetheart of Pakistan. She was the most influential and popular female singer and probably one of the few real pop singers of the 1980s and the 1990s in South Asia.

Nazia Hassan was born in Karachi, Pakistan and from an early age showed interest in music. She began her singing career during the late 1970s, when she appeared on several television shows on PTV as a child artist. Her professional career started at the age of fifteen when she provided the lead vocals for the song Aap Jaisa Koi from the 1980 film Qurbani. Nazia was introduced to the film's director Feroz Khan by his friend in the United Kingdom. The song was a huge success in India and despite Nazia being a Pakistani, she gained overnight fame there. In 1981, Nazia won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback for Aap Jaisa Koi.

After the release of Disco Deewane, Nazia and Zoheb were offered by Biddu to act in a movie, but they refused to act and chose singing. Nazia's second album Star/Boom Boom was released in 1982. The soundtrack of the album was used in the movie Star. Nazia made an appearance in the film, singing the film's title song, Boom Boom. The film did not do well at the box office but the album became a successful album and increased the popularity of Nazia and her brother Zoheb in Pakistan and India.

Nazia's third album, Young Tarang was released in 1984. It was the first album in Pakistan to feature music videos. The album sold 40 million copies which set the record of most selling video album of all times. This album became Nazia's most famous album and one of the most popular albums of Asia. Ankhien Milane Wale was the most popular song in the album and became one of the most popular songs in Pakistan and has aired on television numerous times. After the release of Young Tarang, Nazia returned to singing for Bollywood movies as a playback singer.

Nazia's fourth album, Hotline was released in 1987. Aa Haan was the most popular song of this album. It was the second best selling album of Nazia.

In 1991, Nazia and her brother Zoheb recorded her fifth album, Camera Camera. Before the album's release, Nazia and Zoheb announced during a launching ceremony that it would be their last album. The album was released in 1992. It was not successful like Nazia's previous albums and received average reaction. After the album's release, Nazia left her singing career to focus on her personal life. The composer of her albums, Biddu had composed a song, Made in India and wanted Nazia to sing in it but the retired Nazia refused to sing a song that may offend Pakistan. After Nazia's refusal, the song was offered to Alisha Chinai, who accepted the offer and marked the birth of Indipop.

Surprisingly, music was only a hobby for Nazia and though her achievements in this field were any one’s dream come true, she lived away from the glitzy world and led a secluded and simple life. She completed her education in the UK, got a law degree and then worked in the United Nations in the Security Council. Nazia continued her social work even in New York and worked for children from the UN platform.

What really made Nazia unique in the eyes of her fans, was not her success but the fact that she used her iconic status to promote social causes. She relentlessly worked for special children and for youth and women in distress residing in the underprivileged areas of Karachi. She initiated an NGO, called BAN (Battle Against Narcotics) and became an active member of organisations such as Voice of Women, National Youth Council of Pakistan, etc. In 1991 she joined the Department of Political and Security Council Affairs at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and worked there for 2 years. In her third year she offered her services to UNICEF. Her social and academic excellence won her a scholarship in Columbia University’s Leadership Program but she was unable to avail it because around this time she was diagnosed with cancer.

She is known to be the "Sweetheart of Pakistan". Nazia Hassan is still the symbol of grace, sacred beauty and innocence and is frequently compared to Princess Diana as she was known to possess a heart of gold. Nazia spent her teenage between Karachi and London.

Nazia was the daughter of a well-known businessman Mr. Basir Hassan and an active social worker, Mrs. Munizeh Basir. She had two siblings, a brother Zohaib and a sister Zahra, both of whom became singers. Nazia was married on March 30, 1995 to Mirza Ishtiaq Baig. They had a son born on April 7, 1997 named Arez. Nazia's marriage with Mirza Ishtiaq Baig was a complete failure and she got divorced on August 4, 2000.

Nazia died of lung cancer in London on August 13, 2000 at the age of 35. She was admitted to North Finchley Hospice three days earlier when her condition deteriorated. She showed signs of mild recovery the day before she passed away and it was thought that doctors would allow her to go home. But early Sunday morning, her mother, Muneeza Hasan, was called to the hospital where her daughter had started coughing heavily at around 9:15am. She died within minutes. Nazia is buried at the Muslim Hendon Cemetery in London.

The Government of Pakistan has conferred upon Nazia Hassan the highest civilian award Pride of Performance. The award was presented to Mrs. Muniza Basir, mother of Nazia Hassan, by the President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf in an official ceremony held at Islamabad on 23 March 2002. In 2003, Nazia's family established a charitable organization named after her. The organization was established in continuation of her life long charitable and social efforts to make the world a better place to live in for all irrespective of colour, creed or religion.

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