Pakistani celebrities express sorrow over Abid Ali's tragic demise

Tariq Butt, Staff Reporter

Veteran Pakistani television actor, director and producer, Abid Ali passed away at the age of 67.

The funeral prayers of the renowned TV actor were offered in Karachi’s Bahria Town on Friday, local media reported.

A number of showbiz and media industry personalities, politicians and others attended the funeral prayers.

The 67-year-old was buried in a local graveyard later in the day.

Pakistani celebrities and people from all walks of life have offered their condolences on the sad demise of Abid Ali.

Ali was suffering from liver disease for a long time, and was being treated at a private hospital in Karachi. His wife Rabia Abid Ali and daughter Rahma Ali confirmed his death.

Born in 1952 in Quetta, Balochistan province, Abid Ali worked as an actor, director, and producer, acting in several TV and film productions. After working at Radio Pakistan, he launched a successful career as an actor with the Pakistan Television (PTV) drama “Jhok Sial” in 1973. But he was perhaps best known for his role as Dilawar Khan in “Waris,” the classic 1979 PTV drama serial.

He was the director and producer of “Dasht,” a 1993 hit drama in which he also played the role of “Shams Shah.”

Ali was the recipient of the prestigious Pride of Performance. He has three daughters, including renowned model and actress Iman Aly and singer Rahma Ali.

His daughters Rahma and Iman Ali had taken to Instagram a couple of days ago to open up about their father’s condition, asking everyone to pray for his well-being.

Rahma wrote in a post, “Papa has been extremely unwell for the past two months. Got treatments done, tried almost every available medication, tasbeehs and Surah-e-Rehman too, but now all the doctors have given their final verdict. Basically they’ve told us there’s nothing they can do to save him.”

Several people from all walks of life paid their respects to the legendary actor on social media.

Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi expressed grief over the demise of Ali. In his message, he lauded late Ali’s services in the art, spanned over decades. He believed that Ali’s services in the field of acting would be remembered forever. The president prayed for peace of the departed soul and sympathised with the bereaved family.

Celebs recall Abid Ali contributions to showbiz industry

After the news of Abid Ali’s death reached masses, a number of celebrities paid their respect to the senior artist, holding him in high esteem.

Saba Qamar, Maya Ali, Ayesha Omar and other Pakistani  showbiz personalities expressed their condolences as the news of his death started to spread on Thursday.

The dashing actress Saba Qamar took to Instagram to express her condolence and wrote a heartfelt note to share her experience with the legend: "Today our industry lost a gem. Words can surely not express the loss of Abid Ali Sir. Working with him in Bunty I love you was an unforgettable experience. He always brought so much light to everyone around him. Such a legend. You’ll be missed Sir #AbidAli #RestInPeaceAbidSir "

Another dynamic Pakistani actress Maya Ali also condoled his death and recalled the moments she worked with the multi-talented  actor. She wrote: "Huge loss to our industry today. Deeply saddened to hear about the loss of Sir Abid Ali. It was an absolute pleasure to work with him in Diyar e Dil and will cherish that experience forever. Truly we have lost a legend today, someone who can never be replaced. May ALLAH bless him the highest rank in Jannah and give his family the strength to bear this tremendous loss, Ameen. Gone but never forgotten...."