KARACHI: Seasoned playwright and writer Fatima Surayya Bajia passed away here on Wednesday evening after a protracted illness. She was 85. Born in the Hyderabad Deccan State of United India on September 1, 1930, Bajia was well known and respected for her social work and support to a series of welfare schemes for the marginalised sections of the society. Bajia, suffering from oral cancer for quite some time, was recognised for her literary as well as public welfare pursuits across the country and in many parts of the world. She was thus awarded Hilal-i-Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan in 2012 along with the Pride of Performance Award for her services to the performing arts in Pakistan. Japan’s highest civil award was also conferred upon her in recognition of her works. Eldest among her 10 siblings, Bajia was a proud sister of Anwar Maqsood (satirist), Zehra Nigah (poet), Zubaida Tariq (culinary expert), Bunto Kazmi (fashion designer) and Sarah Ali, senior broadcaster who had been associated with BBC Urdu Service for a long time. According to her family sources, Bajia’s funeral prayers and burial would take place after Zuhr prayers on Thursday (today). Bajia started her career as an actress in a play aired by the Pakistan Television in 1966. Later, she adopted writing as a career. She wrote more than 10 plays and drama serials. Her most famous dramas include Aroosa, Zeenat, Shama and Afshan.