Pakistani actress Humaira Asghar's decomposed body found, death suspected weeks earlier

Actress and model Humaira Asghar Ali was found dead in her apartment in Karachi's upscale Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase VI on Tuesday.

She was 32 years old.

According to police, Humaira's body was found in a decomposed state, suggesting she had died nearly two weeks before being found.

Officers from the Gizri Police Station were dispatched to the residence in the Ittehad Commercial area after the landlord, unable to contact her and facing months of unpaid rent, sought legal action, reports The Dawn.

The court subsequently directed the police to inspect the premises.

Police arrived at the apartment around 3:15 p.m. and, after receiving no response, forced entry into the locked unit. A strong odour-led them to the body. Forensic experts from the Crime Scene Unit were called in to collect evidence, and the body was moved to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for further examination.

Dr Summaiya Syed, police surgeon at JPMC, confirmed that the body was in an advanced stage of decomposition.

"The cause of death remains reserved," she said, adding that further investigation and a complete postmortem report are pending.

Humaira Asghar had been living alone in the apartment and had reportedly not paid rent for several months. Police are currently working to locate her family and contacts using mobile phone records.

Best known for her appearance on ARY’s reality show Tamasha Ghar and her role in the 2015 film Jalaibee, Humaira was also a theatre performer, painter, sculptor, and fitness enthusiast, as described in her Instagram bio. She had more than 713,000 followers on the platform. Her last post, shared on September 30, 2024, featured candid personal photos.