LAHORE: Today marks the 31st anniversary of the passing of Munawar Sultana, one of Pakistan’s most celebrated singers. Born in Ludhiana in 1925, she migrated to Lahore with her family after the partition of India. She received her musical training from Abdul Haq Qureshi (Shami), a distinguished composer at Radio Pakistan.
Munawar Sultana holds the distinction of being the playback singer for Pakistan’s first-ever film, “Teri Yaad,” and her voice also graced the recording of the national song “Chand Roshan Chamakta Sitara Rahe” at Radio Pakistan Lahore.
After Pakistan’s independence, she lent her voice to numerous films, becoming one of the leading playback singers of the 1950s in the Pakistani film industry. Her notable movies included Pheyray, Mehbooba, Anokhi Dastan, Beqarar, Do Ansoo, Sarfarosh, Akeli, Naveli, Mahboob, Jalan, Intiqam, Bedari, Masoom, and Lakht-e-Jigar. Her contributions left an indelible mark on Pakistan’s musical landscape.
Munawar Sultana was married to Ayub Romani, the Station Director of Radio Pakistan Lahore. After her marriage, she chose to step away from her singing career and largely withdrew from the public eye.
She passed away on this day in 1995 in Lahore, leaving behind a legacy celebrated by music lovers across Pakistan.
