KARACHI: Pakistani actress and model Humaira Asghar Ali is believed to have died at least nine months ago in October 2024 based on digital and forensic evidence, investigators told Arab News on Thursday, after her decomposed body was discovered this week in her Karachi apartment.

Ali’s remains were found at a flat in the city’s Ittehad Commercial area when a court bailiff arrived to vacate the rented property on Tuesday, following a complaint by the landlord. Police said the bailiff broke open the door and found the deceased inside.

Initially, Karachi Police Surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed, who conducted the post-mortem, said the body’s “very advanced stage of decomposition” suggested death had occurred around a month prior.

However, police investigations into Ali’s phone records, her last social media activity and interviews with neighbors found no indication that she had been alive after October 2024, Arab News has found. Her last Facebook post was on September 11, 2024 and last Instagram post on September 30, 2024. Neighbors interviewed by police and reporters said they had not seen her since Sept-Oct last year. 

Deputy Inspector General of Police Syed Asad Raza confirmed that Ali’s phone was last active in October 2024, with the final recorded call placed that month.

“As per Call Detail Record (CDR) the last call was made in October 2024,” Raza told Arab News, without offering further details.

Two officials with direct knowledge of the case, who declined to be named, said the estimated time of death was around October 2024.

“Humaira’s body is likely nine months old,” the first official said on condition of anonymity. “She probably died between paying her last utility bills and when her electricity was disconnected in October 2024, probably due to non-payment of the bill.”

A second official who also requested anonymity said expired food items and rusted containers in the kitchen supported that timeline.

“The jars had rusted, and food had expired six months ago,” the official said. 

There was only one other apartment on the same floor, which was vacant at the time, possibly delaying detection, investigators said. 

“The occupants of that apartment told us they returned in February, and by then the smell had faded. After ten to fifteen days, the odour starts to decrease. The balcony door had also been left open,” the second official added.

Water pipes in the home were dry and rusted and no alternative power source was found. 

“There were no candles either,” the official said.

Police surgeon Syed, who conducted the autopsy on Tuesday, returned to the apartment on Wednesday with senior officers.

“We have collected multiple surface samples from the scene, which have been sent to the laboratory,” she said, declining to provide further comment.

Police said Ali’s family had declined to claim the body. It is unclear whether she was estranged from her relatives or what the exact reason was that they had refused to receive her remains. 

Ali rose to fame after winning Veet Miss Super Model in 2014 and appearing in reality show Tamasha Ghar in 2022.

She has featured in television dramas such as Just Married, Ehsaan Faramosh, Guru, and Chal Dil Mere. In cinema, she appeared in the 2015 action-thriller Jalaibee and later in Love Vaccine in 2021.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Food Security Ministry announced on Wednesday it has decided to waive all duties and taxes on sugar imports to ensure the product is available to the public at affordable prices. 

In Pakistan, high sugar prices have triggered public outcry and become flashpoints for opposition criticism in the past, with allegations of hoarding and cartelization frequently surfacing in election years or periods of economic volatility.

The latest announcement from the ministry comes as sugar prices surge to nearly Rs200 [$0.70] per kilogram in several parts of the country, triggering public concern. National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain chaired a meeting of the steering committee on sugar on Wednesday, which decided to import the commodity through the Trade Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) to ensure transparency and quality control. 
“To facilitate this process, the government has exempted all duties and taxes on sugar imports so that sugar can be made available to the general public at affordable prices and inflationary pressures can be eased,” the ministry said in a statement. 

It said sugar will be imported initially in two phases. In the first phase, a tender for 200,000 metric tons of sugar will be issued, followed by another tender for 150,000 metric tons after one week.

The ministry said these import quantities have been determined in line with immediate market requirements and anticipated demand in the coming weeks.

“The imported sugar will be of premium quality, meeting standard market expectations— specifically, the coarse-grain variety commonly used by consumers,” the statement said.

“Additionally, post-shipment inspection will be strictly enforced to ensure that quality standards are upheld.”

Hussain said the government would deploy a streamlined and “active system” to guarantee timely distribution of imported sugar across the country, leaving no room for hoarding or profiteering.

“He expressed hope that this strategic intervention will help stabilize sugar prices in the local market and significantly ease the financial burden on consumers,” the ministry said.