Mehdi Hassan

Mehdi Hassan

Mehdi Hassan Khan (Urdu: مہدی حسن خان ‎‎; July 18, 1927 – June 13, 2012) was a Pakistani ghazal singer and a former playback singer for Lollywood. He is famously known as the "King of Ghazal". In 1983, in the court of King Mahendra he was awarded Gorkha Dakshina Bahu. In 1979, he was awarded K. L. Saigal Sangeet Shehenshah Award by the Government of India. Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar who has awarded Bharat Ratna once likened his songs to the "voice of god". He was honoured with Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Pride of Performance and Hilal-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan, and Gorkha Dakshina Bahu by the Government of Nepal. He remained a leading singer of film industry along with Ahmed Rushdi. Mehdi Hassan died on 13 June 2012 after a protracted illness, in a private hospital in Karachi. The highest civilian honor of Pakistan is conferred on him Nishan-e-Imtiaz