The decomposed body of Pakistani actor Humaira Asghar Ali, found earlier this week in an apartment in Karachi, is believed to have remained undiscovered for up to 10 months, according to the postmortem report.
The 32-year-old's remains were discovered at her apartment in the upscale Defense Housing Authority Phase 6 area. Authorities recovered the body after a court bailiff arrived to vacate the rented unit following a complaint from the landlord.
Police initially suspected the death had occurred around 10 days earlier. But further evidence contradicted that estimate.
The postmortem report concluded that the time between death and examination spanned eight to ten months.
“The body was in an advanced stage of decomposition,” the report noted. “Insects had developed inside the remains, the fingernails had separated from the bones, and the lower part of the body was entirely devoid of flesh.”
According to the report, the face was unrecognizable, and physical examination could not determine whether any sexual assault had occurred. No fractures were detected in any bones.
Officials collected the woman’s hair and fragments of her shirt from the remains for chemical analysis.
Who was Humaira Asghar?
Humaira was identified by police as a former reality television contestant and actor who appeared in dramas such as Chal Dil Mera, Laali, and Benaam. She also had a cameo in the film Love Guru.
The case has drawn national attention, both for its disturbing details and the broader questions it has raised about loneliness and mental health.
Authorities said neighbors last saw Humaira several months ago, and her final phone call — to a cab driver — was traced back to September 2024.
The refrigerator still contained expired dairy products from October 2024. The last electricity bill was also paid that month. Her activity on social media stopped around the same time.
On social media, users expressed shock and heartbreak over how long her death went unnoticed.
Members of the entertainment industry offered condolences and spoke about the psychological toll that often accompanies a career in show business.
“The industry often looks glamorous from the outside, but navigating it can be deeply challenging,” actor and model Saheefa Jabbar Khattak said in a statement online.
Police say investigations are ongoing into the circumstances surrounding the actor’s death.
False murder report traced to fake identity
In a related development, Karachi police have dismissed a murder complaint linked to the case, filed from Mirpur Khas, as baseless and fraudulent.
According to officials, the complaint was submitted using a fake SIM card and a phone number registered under a forged identity.
The number was fraudulently issued under the name of an elderly rural Hindu woman named Gomi.
Police say Gomi and her family had no knowledge of the registered number or any complaints filed in their name. Authorities confirmed that her national identity card has not been associated with any such allegation.
Investigators are continuing to probe the false claims, though no credible evidence has surfaced so far to support the accusations.
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