Pakistan's Queen of Melody mourned

Noor Jehan: Haunting voice

Musicians and politicians in both Pakistan and India have been paying tribute to the singer Noor Jehan, who was buried on Sunday.

The singer, known as the Queen of Melody (Mallika-e-Tarannum), began her career before the partition of the sub-continent, and her appeal continued to bridge the divide.

After a long illness, she died on Saturday in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi, aged 75.

Film studios across the country have halted filming for a week out of respect, industry officials said.

Musharraf moved

"Madam Noor Jehan was an unmatched personality of the subcontinent's music, and it will be impossible to fill the gap created by her death," said popular film star Nadeem.

Musharraf: She rose to dizzying heights

With tears rolling down her cheeks, classical singer Fareeda Khanum said: "God sends people like Noor Jehan with a gift of love and calls them back with great love."

Pakistani military ruler General Pervez Musharraf was no less warm in his tribute.

In a condolence message he said Jehan "rose to the dizzying heights of music and dominated the stage for decades".

He added: "She was a true Pakistani and sang some memorable patriotic songs, which will always remain in the hearts of the people."

Indian tributes

In India, Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani, a harsh critic of Pakistan, said he had been a fan of the singer with a haunting, mellifluous voice.

Advani: Tribute to departed soul

"Like her millions of admirers, I deeply mourn Noor Jehan's passing away and offer tribute to the departed soul," Mr Advani said in his message.

"Though she chose to migrate to Pakistan after partition, she remained a part of the great diaspora of Hindi-Urdu singers across the dividing lines."

Indian Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj said Jehan's melodies would continue to warm the hearts of music lovers for generations to come.

Five decades

Noor Jehan, was born Allah Rakhi at Kasur in Punjab on 21 September 1926.

She began her singing career at the age of 8, and appeared in her first film, Village Girl (Pind Di Kuri) in 1935.

In a career spanning five decades she recorded thousands of songs for radio, television and films, singing Punjabi and Urdu songs with equal mastery.

Her singing drew admirers from across the world, including the Gulf states and East Asia.

Thousands bade her a tearful farewell at her burial.

She leaves behind two sons and five daughters from two marriages.