LAHORE, Nov 3: Reshman, one of the most popular folk singers of the country, died at a hospital here on Sunday. She was 66.

She leaves behind two sons.

Reshman had been a patient of throat cancer for years but her son Mohammad Latif said she had been cured of the disease. An acute chest infection was cited as the cause of her death.

Funeral prayers were offered at Imamia Colony in Shahdara and she was buried on the premises of an Imambargah in Ali Park. Qul will be held on Wednesday between Asr and Maghrib at Imamia Colony.

Prominent among those who attended her last rites were folk singer Arif Lohar, vocalist Naseebo Laal, MPA Imran Nazir and MNA Malik Riaz.

Arif Lohar termed Reshman’s death an irreparable loss to music in Pakistan and India. “With her death a golden chapter of fabulous singing has come to an end,” he said.

Naseebo Lal said Reshman had a unique voice and her death had left a vacuum in the music world.

Reshman’s soulful voice and melodious singing also made her popular in India where she had a large number of fans.

Reshman was born to a gypsy family in Bikaner, Rajasthan, in 1947. Her elders were in the trade of camels and horses. Reshman’s tribe embraced Islam before the partition and her family migrated to Karachi soon after Pakistan came into being.

Reshman spent much of her childhood singing at Sufi shrines, particularly that of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.

The breakthrough in her life came in the 60s when radio producer Salim Gillani spotted in her the great artiste while she was singing at the Qalandar’s shrine.

Mr Gillani recorded ‘Lal Meri’, so beautifully sung by Reshman. The voice won hearts and the dhamal became an instant hit. After that there was no looking back for her.

In the same decade, Reshman started singing for television. Some of her famous numbers are ‘Hai O Rabba’, ‘Sun Charkhay Di Mithi Mithi Cook’, ‘Way Main Chori Chori’ and ‘Akhiyan Noon Rehen Day’.

‘Akhiyan’ was adopted by Indian musician Laxmikant Pyarelal and sung by Lata Mangeshkar for Bobby.

Reshman performed in India during the 80s when India and Pakistan allowed exchange of artistes. ‘Lambi Judai’, sung by Reshman for Indian film Hero, is still close to hearts of music lovers in the two countries.

Former prime minister Indira Gandhi thrice asked Reshman to settle in India but she refused. Giving the reason behind the decision not to accept the Indian offer, Latif said his mother used to say that she was khaddar that had been turned into silk by Pakistan and she would never leave her country.

In October 2002, Reshman performed at the Brunei Gallery in London to a packed hall of Pakistani expatriates.

She was awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz by the government.

In January 2006, she was one of the passengers on the Lahore-Amritsar bus, the first such service launched between both parts of Punjab since 1947.

Reshman was diagnosed with throat cancer in the 80s and had been under treatment for years.

Former president retired General Pervez Musharraf had approved a grant of Rs1 million to help her clear a bank loan, besides providing her a monthly assistance of Rs10,000. He also helped her get a plot of land but the offer did not materialise due to change of the government.