KARACHI: Veteran comedian Umer Sharif was on Wednesday laid to rest at the Abdullah Shah Ghazi graveyard in Karachi.
Hundreds of people had gathered at a park in Clifton Block II to attend the funeral prayers. The main gate of the park was closed while police officials had cleared the way for the ambulance carrying his body to head to the graveyard.
Police had made arrangements for the comedian’s funeral and over 200 policemen were deployed. Police had also installed a walk-through gate at the entrance to the parka.
The ground outside the main gate was designated as the parking area for the funeral prayers while traffic police officials were deployed outside the park to ensure the uninterrupted flow of traffic. A bomb disposal squad had also searched the park before the funeral prayers.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, Sharif’s body arrived from Turkey after being flown to Munich from Nuremberg, Germany. The deceased’s wife Zareen Ghazal also returned to Pakistan on the same plane.
His sons and other relatives received his body at the airport. Sindh minister Saeed Ghani and MQM’s Kishwar Zahra were also present at the airport.
His body wrapped in the national flag was shifted to the Edhi morgue at Sohrab Goth and was shifted to his residence in Karachi. Fans of the comedian showered the vehicle carrying his body to the morgue with rose petals.
Umer Sharif was admitted to a hospital in Germany’s Nuremberg after his health deteriorated during his flight to the US. He was shifted to the hospital after his air ambulance made a scheduled landing in Germany.
The comedian was diagnosed with multiple ailments including coronary conditions. Umer Sharif passed away at the age of 66 at a hospital in Germany.
