Lively and bubbly, Ms Fehmina Chaudhry, a model and beauty queen, also had dreams of breaking into Bollywood.

And she was hardworking.

Even though Ms Chaudhry, 27, was from a well-to-do family and didn't need to work, she worked hard at her job as a bank executive in wealth management, pulling longer hours than most, before she went into modelling.

"She was willing to do what other people weren't. She worked extra hard to achieve her objectives," an ex-colleague, who wanted to be known only as Mr Ishak, 30, said yesterday.

On Monday, the mother of two's body was found on the outskirts of Pakistan's capital Islamabad.

Property dealer Syed Maaz Waqar allegedly kidnapped her for ransom. He reportedly admitted to police that he had killed her and thrown the body into the Korang Nullah.

Permanent resident

The Pakistani model from Karachi was based in Singapore and was thought by ex-colleagues to hold Singapore permanent residency.

A friend from India, financial consultant Umesh Agarwal, 36, said Ms Chaudhry had dreams of joining Bollywood.

He had distributed her portfolio to many of the top production houses and she was scheduled to fly to India on Dec 4 for auditions, he added.

Mr Ishak said he was at a loss when he heard of the news from a mutual friend.

He said Ms Chaudry's husband, who is Singaporean and works at a different bank here in a similar role, could not be reached on his phone. Ms Chaudhry's Facebook account also appeared to have been deactivated.

"The account was there just two weeks ago. I'd dropped her a message to meet up, she was telling me about some forex investments. I was waiting for her reply, then this happened," said Mr Ishak, who has known Ms Chaudhry for about 2½ years.

Learning of the details of her death also "traumatised" him, said Mr Ishak.

Describing her as the "life of the party", he added: "Fehmina was lively and bubbly, she would keep away from trouble. This is just unfortunate. She didn't deserve this."

Another friend, an ex-colleague at the same bank who wanted to be known only as Mr Moses, 30, said she was a very caring person who valued friendships.

Ms Chaudhry spent over a year at the bank before going into modelling early last year, he said, adding he showed up to support her at the Ms Asia International pageant last year, which she won.

"She was a natural (at modelling)," he said.

Mr Moses added that, like any mother, Ms Chaudhry was close to her son and daughter, and would take them out.

Ms Chaudhry similarly came across as motherly to ex-model and former The New Paper New Face contest finalist Sheralynn Shen Jega, 25, who met her at her first casting for an Indian fashion show early last year.

"Normally, when you go for fashion shows, there's always one person who looks out for everyone - offering help, or offering drinks. She was that person," said the advertising executive.

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