I was shocked to see the news of Mehnaz's death on BBC. Mehnaz was going to the United States for treatment, when she breathed her last in Bahrain. Mehnaz was only 55 years old and started her career as a teenager from Radio Pakistan in 1970. Saleem Gilani, the director general of Radio Pakistan, who was present at the music competition of her college and where she won the first prize, arranged her training for a month at the radio station. Pandit Ghulam Qadir, Mehdi Hasan’s brother was her teacher and Mehdi Hasan who came to the station frequently, would often say to her “do riaz regularly and you’ll do wonders”, seeing her potential.
Mehnaz had sung a variety of genres but specializes in ghazal, thumri, dadra, kahyal, drupad and reciting salam, noha and marsiya.
She was the daughter of celebrated sub-continental singer Kajjan Begum.
Being straightforward and blunt has not been very helpful for Mehnaz in her career. She said things as they were and that created a lot of problems—awards get scrapped and benefits were taken away.
The famous Pakistani singer had moved to the United States due to her illness and in one of her interviews said that "we live in a culture in which as long as you are alive no one gives you importance but you get it when you die."
Her golden period began with Mehdi Hasan when she sang duets with him. Later she sang duets with Noor Jehan and Naheed Akhtar.
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