In a heartbreaking development, veteran actress Ayesha Khan was discovered dead in her apartment in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal area, police confirmed.
Authorities stated that her body appeared to have been lying there for about a week. Ayesha had been living alone, and it was only after neighbors noticed a strong odor coming from her flat that they contacted her family, prompting a police response.
Officers arrived promptly and moved her body to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for legal and medical procedures.
It was later transferred to the Edhi Foundation’s mortuary at Sohrab Goth. Police noted that a post-mortem would only be carried out if her family requested it.
Arrangements for her funeral are yet to be shared.
Ayesha Khan’s passing marks a significant loss to Pakistan’s television industry. Born in 1948, she was the elder sister of late actress Khalida Riasat and gained fame for her roles in classic dramas such as Afshan, Uroosa, Aanch, Bandhan, and Shaam Se Pehle.
Her portrayal in Afshan remains especially memorable, playing a sorrowful woman who, during the Partition, is left behind to raise her child and niece after her husband and brother are forced to flee the country.
Reflecting on her passing, Arts Council of Pakistan President Ahmed Shah said, “She acted for more than 50 years and her death was a great loss for the drama scene of the country.”