Legendary singer Madam Noor Jehan is being remembered on her 97th birth anniversary across the country on Thursday. Noor Jehan was one of the greatest singers of all time in South Asia. She was given the title of Malka-e-Tarannum (Melody Queen). Noor Jehan infused a spirit of patriotism in the nation and motivated armed forces of Pakistan during 1965 War. The history of the war would remain incomplete without mentioning the matchless services of Noor Jehan whose motivational songs injected new spirit of patriotism and national cohesion. Her songs Aye Watan ke Sajelay Jawano, Aye Puttar Hattan Te Nahi Wikde, Aye Rah Haq Key Shaheeedo Wafa Ki Taswero, Rang Laye Ga Shaheedon ka Lahoo and many more touched hearts and minds of every Pakistani besides creating a wave of nationalism. At an early age, she proved her mettle in all forms of singing including ghazal, folk, national and playback and sang thousands of hit songs for the film industry. She sang over 20,000 songs in various languages and her playback singing was considered a guarantee for success of films. The Melody Queen holds a record for having given voice to the largest number of film songs in the history of Pakistani cinema. Her films Zeenat, Dupatta, Anarkali, Intezar and others had broken all records of popularity and promoted cinema industry in Pakistan. She was decorated with presidential Pride of Performance Award for her matchless services during 1965 and 15 Nigar awards for promoting music and film industry in the country. She was also awarded Tamgha-e-Imtiaz besides other honours including PTV’s Voice of the Century title. The celebrated singer of Pakistan left this mortal world on Dec 23, 2000 after suffering a heart attack in Karachi. In one of his articles, Khalid Hasan writes: “But Madam lives in her music, and this is not a cliché. She does indeed live. In America and Canada, there was time when you had to look far and wide for even the basic spices that go into Pakistani and Indian cooking. And neither love nor money could buy you music from our part of the world.” “I always found it difficult to imagine a world where there would be no Madam Nur Jehan, but the unthinkable came to pass as the year 2000 was drawing to a close. Nur Jehan is gone and never shall we see her like again, nor hear that voice, though it will live in the music she left us.” He said: “Madam Nur Jehan was a great woman and a great artist. And now the gods have made her immortal, like her music. She was the toast of India when Pakistan and India were one country. She chose to come to Pakistan because that was where her heart lay. “The little town of Kasur where she was born always remained close to her and Lahore was the city she loved. She was not, however, fated to be buried there. It is said that she had expressed the wish to be buried in Kasur but that was not to be either. Malika-e-Tarannum Nur Jehan stands dignified in death as in life, mourned by millions and remembered with love. She was truly blessed because the devotion that people feel for her is denied by God to all but the elect. Avaaz day kahan hai.”