Veteran Pakistani actress Ayesha Khan found dead at 76 at her apartment

Dubai: Veteran Pakistani actress Ayesha Khan was found dead in her apartment in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 7, nearly a week after her passing, according to local reports.

She was 76. It was well known that Ayesha had been living alone for several years and had largely withdrawn from public life. Her body was discovered in a decomposed state, raising fresh concerns about the isolation and neglect faced by ageing artists.

Neighbours reportedly alerted the police after noticing a foul odour emanating from her residence. Authorities arrived at the scene and transferred the body to Jinnah Hospital for medico-legal formalities to determine the cause and estimated time of death. Following the initial examination, her remains were moved to a mortuary.

Police have launched an investigation and are questioning neighbours and relatives for information about her final days.

Ayesha Khan was a beloved figure in the Pakistani television industry. She was also the elder sister of celebrated TV actress Khalida Riyasat. Though she stepped away from the spotlight in recent years, her performances in acclaimed dramas like Akhri Chattan, Tipu Sultan: The Tiger Lord, Dehleez, Daraarein, and Ek Aur Aasman are still remembered with great fondness. She also appeared in films including Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Muskaan, and Fatima.

Tributes poured in on social media from fans and fellow actors, mourning the quiet, tragic end of a star who once lit up Pakistani screens.

Prominent actor Adnan Siddiqui recalled working alongside Khan in Uroosa.

“She was my on-screen mother but brought a compassion reminiscent of a maternal figure, a presence that soothed, grounded and made a space feel more human,” Siddiqui wrote on Instagram.