Karachi: Veteran Pakistani artiste Zia Mohyeddin, whose acting skills gave Pakistan worldwide recognition, died in Karachi after a brief illness. He was 91.
He was under treatment at a private hospital in Karachi for the past couple of days.
Condolences poured in from dignitaries across the country on the demise of Mohyeddin.
Born in Faisalabad in the Punjab province of Pakistan in 1931, Mohyeddin was a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London where he was trained in acting in the 1950s. He made the debut of his acting career in films in the classic “Lawrence of Arabia” in 1962.
In later years he appeared in the films Work is a Four-Letter Word, Sammy Going South, They Came from Beyond Space, and Behold a Pale Horse. He also appeared in many British television dramas. He was also famous for his role as Dr Aziz in the British theatrical production “A Passage to India”.
He later remained associated with PIA Arts Academy in Pakistan.
Mohyeddin became immensely popular in Pakistani households in the 1970s due to his programme on Pakistan Television “Zia Mohyeddin Show”. The show provided the opportunity for many budding artists to appear on television. He also earned exceptional fame as a broadcaster.
In 2005, he founded the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) in the heritage building of Hindu Gymkhana in Karachi. He remained associated with the NAPA till his last breath. In 2021, he was made President Emeritus of the NAPA while recognising his years-long services to training youngsters in the field of acting and theatrical production. The NAPA in the past years staged many impressive stage plays under his guidance.
On January 31, 2023, Mohyeddin appeared alongside Sindh Chief Minister, Murad Ali Shah, at the convocation of NAPA where the CM awarded degrees to the graduates of the academy. The CM in his speech on the occasion requested Mohyeddin to reserve a seat for him in the NAPA as once he was retired from politics he intended to learn the field of arts.
In his condolence message, Sindh Culture Minister, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, noted that Mohyeddin till his death had remained committed to the promotion of arts and culture and teaching acting and theatrical skills to the new generations.
He said that the demise of Mohyeddin was a colossal loss for the students in the country who wanted to study the field of performing arts.
While noting that Mohyeddin was an iconic actor of Pakistan, the CM said in his condolence message that the late artiste was rightly considered an institution in the field of art, literature, and knowledge.
His funeral prayers were offered at Yasrab Mosque in the DHA area of Karachi and attended by notables from different walks of life.
