Veteran actor, director, television host and prolific artist Zia Mohyeddin passed away in Karachi at the age of 91 on Monday, February 13, 2023.
According to reports, the artist was undergoing treatment at a private hospital and was on life support. He took his last breath at 6:30am today.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief at the news and extended condolences to the grieving family.
On Twitter, Sharif wrote Mohyeddin's personality was one of its kind adding, "he mesmerized people for more than half a century with his unparalleled skills in theatre, broadcasting and oratory and the magic of his voice."
Pakistan Embassy in Qatar also joined the literary community to mourn the loss as it wrote,"@PakinQatar joins Pakistanis and literary aficionados across the world to mourn the loss of maestro #ZiaMohyeddin. The late actor, poet, narrator, was a cultural icon whose contributions to the #Urdu language are immense."
Born in 1931, in Pakistan's Faisalabad City, Mohyeddin is considered a legend who founded Pakistan’s premier National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA). He was the President Emeritus of NAPA and mentored many renowned students.
He studied theatre in London at Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and was among the first from the country to work in Hollywood. At a young age, he got an opportunity to play a memorable role in the famous movie Lawrence of Arabic.
In a career spanning more than six decades in various disciplines, theatre remained Mohyeddin’s lifetime passion.
He was awarded two of Pakistan’s top civilian recognition - the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2003 and the Hilal-i-Imtiaz in 2012.
