Former British Open champion Roshan Khan, the father of Pakistan squash legend Jahangir Khan, died at the age of 78, his family said.

Roshan, who won his only British Open in 1957, suffered a heart attack in May last year and was in coma since then.

"My father died in a hospital last night," Jahangir said.

Roshan rose from a ball boy in squash courts and went on to play in the British Open in 1955. He won the title two years later. He also won the US Open thrice.

Along with Hashim Khan, who won seven British Open titles, Roshan was regarded as one of the pioneers of squash in Pakistan, who ruled the sport in 1980s and 1990s through Jahangir and Jansher Khan.

Jahangir won a world record of 10 British Open titles and six world crowns.