Court orders FIR in Humaira Asghar’s death, hints possible murder

KARACHI: A local court has directed police to register a murder case in connection with the mysterious death of actress and model Humaira Asghar, whose decomposed body was discovered in a Defence Housing Authority (DHA) flat last month.

In its order, the Additional District and Sessions Judge (South) ruled that the available record and police report established grounds for a cognisable offence, instructing authorities to lodge an FIR either on behalf of the family or the state.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that Asghar’s mobile phone remained active until February 2025, months after her reported death on October 7, raising serious suspicions. He claimed that her WhatsApp display picture was deleted, calls went unanswered, and her makeup artist, who allegedly had possession of the phone, failed to cooperate. The lawyer also urged the court to summon Asghar’s brother and others for questioning, and noted that forensic reports mentioned blood traces in the actress’s room and washroom.

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The plea named the SSP South and the SHO Gizri as respondents. While police initially described the death as mysterious, the court’s directive has intensified scrutiny amid growing suspicions that Asghar may have been murdered.

Post-mortem report

The post-mortem examination of Humaira Asghar had also raised more questions than answers, leaving the cause of her death undetermined.

According to the report compiled by Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed, Asghar’s body was between eight to ten months old when discovered in a DHA apartment, and had reached the final stages of decomposition. By the time investigators found her remains, the body was almost unrecognisable, with severe deterioration making it impossible to ascertain whether she died of natural causes or foul play.

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The report noted that facial muscles had disintegrated, fingers and nails had decayed to skeletal form, and large portions of muscle tissue were missing. Internal organs had collapsed into a black, shapeless mass, while the brain had undergone complete autolysis. Though the spine and skull were intact, the spinal cord was missing. Insects were found in the hair, but no maggots were present. Crucially, no fractures were detected in the skeletal structure.

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Despite the extent of decay, investigators extracted samples for DNA profiling and toxicology analysis.