KARACHI: Renowned singer Rubina Qureshi, known as ‘Nightingale of Sindh’, died here on Wednesday morning. She was 81. She was battling cancer for some time. She leaves behind her husband, distinguished actor Mustafa Qureshi, a son and a daughter.

Ms Qureshi was born on Oct 19, 1940 in Hyderabad. Her maiden name was Aisha Sheikh. Apart from her mother tongue Sindhi, she sang songs in Urdu, Punjabi and Seraeki languages.

At the age of 15, she successfully auditioned for a music show on Radio Hyderabad following which she became a known name in the field of art. She obtained a masters degree in Muslim History from Sindh University. After tying the nuptial knot with actor Mustafa Qureshi, she shifted to Lahore in 1970 where Mr Qureshi worked regularly in films.

Talking to Dawn, Mustafa Qureshi said, “She led an active [bharpur] life, both when it came to her social life and professional career. She sang more than 1,000 songs. She was the first woman artist who took part in strengthening Pak-China relations. The late Z A Bhutto sent her to China where she sang in the Chinese language. She also went to Indonesia and Turkey to perform for her country.”

Ms Qureshi was laid to rest in the Abdullah Shah Ghazi compound.

She is survived by her husband, son Aamir Qureshi and a daughter.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed deep sorrow and grief over her demise.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2022