SRINAGAR: The decomposed body of actor and model Humaira Asghar Ali was recovered from her locked apartment in Karachi’s upscale DHA Phase-VI, nearly nine months after her death, police revealed this week, according to reports appearing in media.
The 32-year-old actress, once a familiar face on television and social media, was found in an advanced stage of decomposition after police broke open the door to her fourth-floor flat on July 8, acting on a court order for eviction over unpaid rent. What they found inside was disturbing: a body long decayed, expired food jars rusted shut, dry water pipes, and a silent home untouched for nearly a year.
Karachi’s South DIG Syed Asad Raza confirmed, “Preliminary forensic reports, including call records, electricity disconnection, and food expiry dates, indicate that she likely passed away around October 2024. The last call made from her phone was also in October. Her social media presence ended abruptly in late September.”
Humaira had reportedly been living alone in the apartment for several years after moving to Karachi from Lahore, estranged from much of her family. Following the discovery, her father refused to claim her remains, forcing the Sindh government and members of the acting fraternity to step in. On Thursday, her brother Naveed Asghar finally arrived from Lahore to take custody of the body after DNA testing confirmed her identity.
“She had distanced herself from us. We hadn’t seen her in over a year,” Naveed told reporters. “When the police called, we were shocked. My father initially said that if there is an emergency, bury her in Karachi.”
The news of the family’s initial refusal triggered a wave of public empathy and criticism. The Sindh Culture Department and Governor Kamran Tessori both offered to take responsibility for her burial, with Tessori even offering the Governor’s House as a possible venue for her funeral.
Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed, who performed the autopsy, stated that the body showed no external injury marks and was too decomposed for a conclusive cause of death. Histopathological and toxicology tests have been sent to the University of Karachi’s ICCBS, and investigators are not ruling out foul play, suicide, or accidental death just yet.
“Everything from the rusted food jars to the shut-off utilities paints a picture of quiet decay — a woman vanishing silently in a city of millions,” said a senior officer close to the investigation.
Adding a haunting twist, the flat next to Humaira’s had been vacant — which explains why no neighbour noticed the smell during the crucial early weeks. By the time residents returned in February, the odour had faded, and the locked apartment faded back into anonymity.
Once a rising star, Humaira Asghar Ali had trained at Lahore’s National College of Arts and the College of Art & Design. Her career included roles in TV dramas like Just Married, Chal Dil Mere, and Guru, as well as the 2015 film Jalaibee. She gained a new wave of popularity as a contestant on ARY’s Tamasha Ghar reality show.
Though known for her glamorous social media posts, friends said Humaira had become increasingly reclusive. “Fame didn’t protect her from loneliness,” one actor wrote online after the news broke. “Her life ended quietly, and even her death went unnoticed for almost a year.”
Humaira’s death follows a similarly tragic case last month when 84-year-old actress Ayesha Khan was found dead in her Karachi flat, days after her passing. -(KL)
