Sindh minister steps in as legal heir for burial of Humaira Asghar

Sindh’s Minister for Culture and Tourism Syed Zulfiqar Shah Thursday announced that the provincial govt will take responsibility for the burial of actress Humaira Asghar if her family continues to refuse to receive her body.

According to details, Minister Zulfiqar Shah has contacted the Additional Inspector General (AIG) Karachi regarding the case and stated that if the family does not come forward to claim the body or proceed with the burial, the Department of Culture will assume the role of legal heir.

To ensure proper handling of the matter, the minister appointed the Director General of Culture as the official focal person.

Read more: Humaira Asghar Case: What We Know So Far – July 10, 2025 Update

Additionally, the Secretary of Culture has written to the DIG East requesting the formal handover of Humaira Asghar’s body to the department.

Sindh minister asserted that Humaira Asghar is not abandoned, declaring that the Sindh Culture Department will see off her burial as her guardian. However, he also stressed that their first priority remains to convince the parents to come forward and accept their daughter’s body.

Discovery of the Body

Humaira’s body was found on July 8, 2025, after Gizri Police, accompanied by a court bailiff, broke into her fourth-floor apartment in Ittehad Commercial Area to enforce an eviction order.

The landlord had initiated legal action due to unpaid rent since April 2024. Neighbors reported a foul odor, but a vacant adjacent apartment, unoccupied until February 2025, likely delayed detection.

Read more: Humaira Asghar’s body shifted to Lahore for burial

The locked main and balcony doors suggested Humaira was alone at the time of death.

Family’s Response

The investigation has been complicated by Humaira’s family’s reluctance to engage. Her father, contacted by Gizri SHO Farooq Sanjrani, refused to claim her body, citing severed ties from years prior.

Her brother facilitated some communication but declined to travel to Karachi.

However, a recent development indicates her brother-in-law has contacted authorities to take responsibility for her remains, which remain at the Chhipa morgue.