“Comedy King” Umar Sharif passes away from heart disease, pneumonia

Karachi: The Pakistani entertainment industry was shaken to the core by news of the titular ‘King Of Comedy’ Umer Sharif passing away recently. And Social Media was consumed with shades of shock, grief and remembrance in the great artist’s name by celebrities and netizens alike.

Journalist Waseem Badami was one of the first to relay the news, followed by several actors and singers who shared love, well wishes and prayers for the recently deceased and his family.

Some spoke about how Umar Sharif impacted and paved the way for comedy in Pakistan. “Sharif is why so many comedians are at the level they are now,” said actor Asad Siddiqui. “Umar Sharif was a legend who taught many around the world to stay graceful while doing comedy”, tweeted actor Sana Javaid.

Others simply prayed for his soul in the Hereafter, like actor and singer Omar Shahzad, who prayed for Sharif’s soul and said he would be missed.

But most celebrated the man that he had been and how nothing would be the same without him. They thanked him for the decades of laughter and for being a bright light on the darkest days.

Umar Sharif had been ill for quite some time due to long-standing heart and kidney issues. He had gone through a heart bypass the year before and ultimately succumbed to Pneumonia in Germany.

Editorial Note: Pakistan stands at 18th highest in terms of Coronary Heart Disease-related deaths. Research indicates that one in 4 adults in Pakistan has prevalent heart disease. To prevent this, awareness about hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and dyslipidaemia should be made widespread. Please go for an annual check-up at your nearest testing facility, or for more information, visit www.medicalnews.pk.