"He was one of the pioneers in the drama industry"
Pakistani television actor Abid Ali passed away at the age of 67 due to liver failure on September 5, 2019.
He was admitted to Karachi’s Liaquat National Hospital with liver disease where he remained in the intensive care unit.
Doctors confirmed he died at around 9 pm.
Abid was known for his work in the Pakistani television industry in a career which spanned 40 years. He was best known for his role as Dilawar in Waris.
After news of his death broke, tributes began pouring from those in the acting industry.
#AbidAli became the top Twitter trend in Pakistan as social media users paid tribute to the famous TV actor.
Renowned drama writer and Urdu poet Amjad Islam said:
“We worked together in so many dramas and he was one of my closest friends in the industry.
“He was one of the pioneers in the drama industry despite not having any formal acting training.”
Actress and comedian Bushra Ansari said: “Abid Ali was a fatherly figure for me in the industry and will be sorely missed.”
The Quetta-born actor was recognised for his work as Pakistan’s then-President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq presented him with the Pride of Performance in 1985.
However, shortly after his death, there has been controversy.
His daughter Rahma Ali, who is a singer and actress, has claimed that her stepmother has taken away her father’s body.
By doing so, she has prevented Rahma and her sisters from seeing him for the last time.
A tearful Rahma shared a video late on September 5, 2019, in which she alleges that her stepmother left the hospital with her father’s body.
She said:
“I really want to tell the world that Rabia Naureem, my father’s second wife has left the hospital with his body.”
Rahma explained that her mother, sister and aunt were still at the hospital when the incident happened.
“We don’t know where to go… we don’t even know where he lives.”
According to Rahma, her stepmother had told her aunt that she “can’t come to her residence to mourn”.
She claimed that Rabia had not even provided details of their father’s burial.
Rahma added: “It’s like she’s taking him away all over again.”
Abid was a father to three daughters, including Rahma and model-turned-actress Iman Ali.
He was last seen in the 2019 film Heer Maan Ja alongside Ali Rehman Khan and Hareem Farooq.
Loading ...