Twenty-four years have passed since the death of legendary pop singer Nazia Hassan. Her fans in Pakistan and abroad observed her 24th death anniversary on Tuesday. Iconic pop singer Nazia Hassan’s journey in the music industry began at a young age with the song “Aap Jaisa Koi…” which propelled her to international fame. Born on April 3, 1965, she rose to prominence through the widely popular Pakistan Television programme Sung Sung, becoming a household name during the late 80s. Her untimely death on Aug 13, a day before Independence Day, left the nation in grief. Nazia Hassan received numerous national and international accolades including Pakistan’s highest civil award – Pride of Performance. In 1980, Nazia made her singing debut with “Aap Jaisa Koi…” Her first album, Disco Deewane, released in 1981, became the best-selling Asian pop album of its time, reaching audiences in 14 countries. The iconic “Disco Deewane” became an anthem for the youth and was so groundbreaking that it even inspired a segment in Karan Johar’s 2012 film, Student of The Year. At the age of 15, Nazia Hassan became the first Pakistani singer to win an Indian Filmfare award in 1980. Nazia Hassan succumbed to lung cancer at the age of 35 in London on Aug 13, 2000, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire generations. Those who remember the Pakistan of late 80s can tell what the likes of Nazia Hassan meant to the country. She was the face of PTV – the only source of entertainment at that time – for music buffs and households. Many recollect that her death on August 13 left the country in a palpable sense of grief. The news cast a pall of gloom on the I-D celebrations, for it more than a death of an icon. It was the death of a dream.