Mehdi Hassan hoping against hope

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

LAHORE - Great classical octogenarian singer Mehdi Hassan, who once enthralled the entire world through his melodious voice, has lost his memory owing to protracted illness, TheNation has learnt.
The ailing singer's life is oscillating between desperation and hope as sometimes he feels well and occasionally doctors pronounce his condition as critical.
Mehdi Hassan was admitted to Sir Agha Khan Hospital in Karachi on government expenses after the media raised the issue of his disease and none of the authorities was taking keen interest in providing him financial support.
A sector in-charge in the City Traffic Police Sajjad Mehdi, son of Mehdi Hasan, has requested the latter’s fans to pray for his early recovery.
Sajjad, talking to TheNation on Saturday, said Khan Sahib had visited Lahore some four moths back and was feeling well. Although the great Khan had been confined to bed and he had lost maximum part of his memory and could not speak fluently but his shadow was a blessing for the family, the son said.
He said Abba was dependent on liquid food and due to improper nourishing and chest infection he had become very weak. He further said his father wished to come to Lahore but could not do so, as according to the doctors, he could only be treated at Sir Agha Khan Hospital. Sajjad Mehdi told, “My father could not bear the demise of my mother in 1999 and taking it to his heart, he suffered attack of paralysis and was confined to bed and wheelchair”.
Mehdi Hasan Khan was born in 1927 in a village of Luna, Rajasthan, India, but the family shifted to Pakistan after the partition. He started singing in 1957 with Radio Pakistan and in a short span of time he proved himself a trendsetter in the world of singing.
Sajjad said the Indian authorities offered his father many times with lot of privileges to come and stay there permanently but he always refused, as he loved and wished to serve Pakistan.