Lahore, Sep 14: Ailing Punjabi folk singer Reshma has requested President Pervez Musharraf to help her get a residential plot that he had ordered for her in Islamabad, and also support her in the completion of a mosque she started five years ago near Shahdara.

The 59-year-old singer, admitted to a Gulberg hospital, is suffering from high blood pressure, general weakness and a sore intestine.

Prior to her present illness, Reshma was admitted to a hospital in London, a couple of weeks ago.

Reshma said that in the 80s during an August 14 performance in the US, blood started oozing out from her nose. She was taken to hospital where doctors, after certain tests, told her that she had cancer.

However, she recovered under quality treatment, medication and above all by the mercy of Almighty.

She described Musharraf as ‘a true friend of artistes’, and added that after Ayub Khan, Musharraf was the only ruler of the country who had given artistes their due respect.

"Musharraf gave me a lot of respect and financial support," Reshma said.

Musharraf had fixed a Rs10, 000 as stipend for her, besides giving her Rs1 million to pay off her bank loan, she added.

Reshma claimed that on her request, Musharraf ordered an allotment of a residential plot to her in Islamabad, but his staff had not carried out the decision.

She also appealed to Musharraf to help her in the completion of the mosque that she has been trying to build for the last five years.

Reshma, who got the Pride of Performance awarded, thanked the government for also conferring upon her the Sitara-i-Imtiaz award on August 14, 2007.

Her song ‘Lambi Judai’ in the film ‘Hero’ has earned her immense popularity.

Reshma belongs to a Rajasthani tribe of gypsies. Saleem Gillani who was then Karachi radio station director discovered her voice. Gillani heard her singing at the Urs of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar at Sehwan when she came there with a group of gypsies to pay a tribute to the saint. (With Inputs from ANI)