Veteran Pakistani actor Ayesha Khan found dead in Karachi apartment; Body discovered after a week

Veteran Pakistani television and film actor Ayesha Khan was found dead in her apartment in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 7 on June 19. She was 76 years old. According to officials, the body was discovered in an advanced state of decomposition, and preliminary investigations suggest she had passed away around a week earlier, reportedly on June 13.

Neighbours informed authorities after detecting a strong foul smell from the apartment. A police team and forensic experts reached the scene, and the body was shifted to Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre for postmortem examination. The autopsy has been temporarily halted as the authorities are waiting for her son to arrive from abroad. Until then, her body has been placed at the Edhi Foundation mortuary.

Ayesha Khan was born in 1948 and was the elder sister of acclaimed actress Khalida Riyasat, who passed away in 1996. Ayesha rose to fame through her performances in several classic dramas and telefilms. Her prominent works included Aroosa, Afshan, Shaam Se Pehle, Family 93, and Soteli Maamta, which aired in 2020.

Her career spanned almost four decades across television, telefilms, and a few films. She appeared in titles such as Akhri Chattan, Tipu Sultan: The Tiger Lord, Dehleez, Daraarein, Bol Meri Machli, and Ek Aur Aasman. In cinema, she featured in Muskaan (2011) and Fatima (2012).

Actor Khaled Anam announced her death via Instagram, writing, “With profound sadness, we share the news of legendary Pakistani actress Ayesha Khan passing away this June 2025.” Actor Adnan Siddiqui also paid tribute to her, recalling their time together during the drama Aroosa, where she played his on-screen mother. He wrote, “She brought a compassion reminiscent of a maternal figure… Her craft did all the talking.”

President of the Arts Council of Pakistan, Ahmed Shah, called her death “a profound loss” for the drama industry. In recent years, she had reportedly stepped away from acting and maintained limited contact with the industry and public life.