KARACHI, Nov 22: Veteran radio newsreader Jahanara Sayeed died of ailments related to old age on Wednesday. She was 81. Born in Hyderabad Deccan in 1926, Ms Sayeed is survived by two sons. She was laid to rest at the Tariq Road graveyard on Thursday.

According to a press release issued by the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday, she was the first woman English newsreader of Radio Pakistan.

She joined Radio Pakistan in 1950 and remained associated with it till 1973 when the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation established the central news organisation in Islamabad.

Radio Pakistan Controller News Anwar Saeed told Dawn that Ms Sayeed was one of the most outstanding newsreaders Radio Pakistan had ever produced.

“She was known for her fantastic voice and superb command over the English language. In fact, we used to send junior newsreaders to her even after her retirement,” he said.

He recalled that she was often asked to read out news bulletins on special occasions. “She was kind enough to oblige despite the fact that she had throat problems.”

Ms Sayeed struggled with throat cancer for a long time.

Radio historian Nihal Ahmad puts Ms Sayeed among the best English newsreaders of Radio Pakistan in a list that includes Eric Warner, Rizwan Wasti, Aslam Azhar, Edward Carrapiett, Anis Mirza and Anita Ghulamali (A History of Radio Pakistan by Oxford University Press, 2005).