Renowned Pakistani songwriter and guitarist Amir Zaki died of cardiac arrest on Friday. He was aged 49. His brother, Shahid Zaki, said the deceased guitarist had been suffering from a prolonged illness.

The funeral, held during Fajr prayers, was attended by family, friends, colleagues and admirers, after which he was buried. After his short stint with Vital Signs, Zaki released his debut album Signature in 1995, from which the song ‘Mera Pyaar’ became a massive hit.

Fans and Pakistani celebrities immediately took to social networking sites to express their grief over the loss.