Pakistani actor Humaira Asghar laid to rest amid sparse attendance, family refutes claims of neglect

Humaira Asghar Ali, a Pakistani actor and social media influencer, was laid to rest on Friday at the Model Town Q Block graveyard in Lahore, following a quiet funeral that concluded a deeply troubling chapter in her life.

Her decomposed body was discovered earlier this week in her Karachi apartment, months after she was last heard from.

The grim discovery occurred on Tuesday when police, accompanied by a court-appointed bailiff, entered her rented fourth-floor flat in Karachi’s DHA Ittehad Commercial area to carry out an eviction order over unpaid rent. Inside, they found her body, which had reportedly been decomposing for 8 to 10 months.

According to Gulf News, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Asad Raza stated, “The expiry dates of food and drinks in the refrigerator are from September 2024. The last outgoing and incoming activity on her phone also dates back to October 2024. Both SIMs in her phone have been inactive since then. Electricity to the apartment was disconnected around the same time due to non-payment of bills.”

A preliminary post-mortem report noted that the body’s condition made it impossible to determine the cause of death. Authorities have not ruled out foul play and are awaiting chemical and histopathological reports for further clarity. “If any foul play is involved, they will register an FIR and initiate legal proceedings,” police officials said.

Initial reports that her family had refused to claim the body sparked public outrage and condemnation from social media users, celebrities such as Yashma Gill and Sonya Hussyn, and even government bodies. However, Humaira’s brother, Naveed Asghar, arrived in Karachi on Thursday to collect her remains and transport them to Lahore for burial. He refuted claims of abandonment, calling such reports “false and misleading.”

Speaking to reporters, Naveed clarified, “The body was in police custody. The police had kept the body for investigation before calling us (the family) to claim it.” He said they were in contact with the Chhipa Welfare Association and Gizri Police over the last three days and were waiting for procedural steps to be completed before taking the body.

He further explained the emotional toll on the family, saying, “My parents were distressed due to the recent death of another close relative.” This, combined with the condition of Humaira’s body, made immediate action difficult.

Naveed also shed light on his sister’s solitary lifestyle, stating that she had been living in Karachi for seven years and rarely contacted the family. “She didn’t contact us for a year, although our mother had reached out to her asking about her whereabouts,” he said. Her phone had reportedly been switched off for six months, making it impossible to trace her.

Her last Instagram post was dated September 30, 2024, coinciding with her final fashion shoot. Messages on her WhatsApp account, including one from her stylist on October 20, went unread.

Once active on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, Humaira had become increasingly private in recent years. Despite maintaining a curated public presence, she reportedly lived a lonely life, with neighbors unaware of her death for nearly a year. The adjacent apartment was vacant, and no reports of foul odor were ever filed.