KARACHI: Veteran TV artist Ayesha Khan was found dead in her Gulshan-i-Iqbal apartment on Thursday night, police, hospital and rescue services officials said on Friday. It appeared that she had died of natural causes, they added.

Born in 1948, Khan was known for her memorable roles in television plays, including the famous Afshan, Aroosa, Family 93, Shaam Se Pehle and Bandhan.

Ayesha Khan was also the elder sister of renowned actress Khalida Riasat.

An Edhi Foundation spokesperson said that the body of a woman identified as Ayesha Riastullah Khan, 83, was recovered from a flat in Block-7. It was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities.

Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said the post-mortem was not yet carried out as the police were waiting for her son to arrive from abroad. The body has been kept in a morgue.

“It is in the advanced stage of decomposition,” the doctor said.

East police spokesperson in a statement said that they received information that the body of a woman had been recovered from the apartment. She lived alone as her children were reportedly abroad.

Someone from her relatives residing here visited the flat on Thursday night and found her dead.

Police stated that it appeared that she was coming out of washroom when she fell and died apparently of natural causes.

They said they took the body in custody and sent it to a hospital to ascertain the exact cause of death. They said that they had received information that her son was coming from abroad.

After the news of her demise broke, members of the entertainment industry, including Adnan Siddiqui, Khaled Anam, Ahsan Khan, Bushra Ansaari, Saba Faisal and Shagufta Ejaz, offered their condolences on her death on different social media platforms.

Published in Dawn, June 21th, 2025