Pakistani actor Humaira Asghar Ali was found dead in her Karachi apartment nearly nine months after she had died, with no one suspecting anything was wrong for all this time.
Her body, which was in a "highly decomposed state", was discovered only after her landlord filed a complaint over unpaid rent.
What has stunned investigators and locals alike is how no one discovered her death sooner. The apartment she lived in had no other occupants on the same floor and one of the balcony doors was left open, as per a report by Arab News.
By the time neighbours returned to the building in February this year, any odour had already faded. The dried-up and rusted water pipes, rusted jars and expired food, said to be at least six months old-pointed to the prolonged period of isolation.
Officials also noted that there were no candles or alternative power sources in the house and her electricity had been disconnected back in October 2024 over non-payment of bills.
One of them said, "Humaira's body is likely nine months old. She probably died between paying her last utility bills and when her electricity was disconnected in October 2024, probably due to non-payment of the bill," adding that there were no candles in the house.
Another official said the food in her home had been expired for months. "The jars had rusted, and food had expired six months ago," they shared.
The post-mortem report conducted by Karachi Police Surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed stated the body was in a "very advanced stage of decomposition," initially suggesting she had been dead for at least a month.
However, later investigations based on her call records and other evidence indicated that she most likely died in October 2024.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Syed Asad Raza told Arab News, "As per Call Detail Record (CDR) the last call was made in October 2024." Neighbours also reported last seeing her around September-October. Her social media activity had ceased even earlier, with no posts since September last year.
Earlier, police had said that Humaira's family had refused to claim her body. However, her brother, Naveed Asghar, has now arrived in Karachi to take custody of the remains.
A DNA test was conducted for verification, as the body was in a severely decomposed state and could not be visually identified. "We have come here and after fulfilling all the legal requirements, have received the dead body," Naveed said.
He shared that Humaira had moved from Lahore to Karachi about seven years ago and had grown distant from the family, visiting them only occasionally.
In recent years, she had not been home for nearly a year and a half. "That is why my father said that if there is any emergency, then you can bury her there [in Karachi]," he said, explaining the family's earlier reluctance. He also questioned whether the landlord had been interviewed. "Whatever matters took place with the landlord, did any of you interview him?" he asked.
Who Was Humaira Asghar Ali?
Hailing from Lahore, Humaira Asghar Ali embarked on her journey in the entertainment industry in 2015. She was seen playing supporting roles in a series of television shows such as Just Married, Ehsaan Faramosh, Guru, and Chal Dil Mere. As for films, she was seen in Jalaibee (2015) and later in Love Vaccine (2021).
She gained further recognition in 2022 when she joined Tamasha Ghar, a reality show which aired on ARY Digital. She also received an award for Best Emerging Talent & Rising Star at the National Woman Leadership Awards in 2023.
