Veteran actor Iftikhar Qaiser's family unable to pay for his medical treatment

His son says one side of Qaiser's body paralysed after a recent stroke; family has run out of money for treatment

PESHAWAR: The family of senior drama artist, Iftikhar Qaiser, who suffers from several medical complications, says they cannot afford his treatment, thus despite being partially paralysed by a stroke recently, he is being kept at home instead of a hospital.

Qaiser, who was in the province’s entertainment industry for around 38 years has been suffering from a number of medical conditions including diabetes, heart disease and kidney problems since long. The stroke has left one side of his body paralysed and struggling family with no hope for his survival.

Hasnain, his 17-year-old son told The Express Tribune that Qaiser has spent all his savings on medical treatment, including the compensation provided by K-P Directorate of Culture and now the family has nothing left.

“The stroke has paralysed his body and he has lost the ability to speak now,” said Hasnain. “We’ve lost all hope of his recovery.”



A winner of the Presidential Pride of Performance award, Qaiser was known as the ‘King of Comedy’. He started his career 38 years ago from Radio Pakistan and has worked in all regional languages. Some of his most memorable work is in Hindko, particularly, the comedy programme ‘Dekhda Janda Re’ with other senior artists like Late Salahuddin, Begum Shamsie, Khalida Rohi, Ishrat Abbas, and others.

“I have used the acting profession as a mission to education people and never as a source of earning,” Qaiser said in an earlier interview.

During the time PTV’s Urdu comedy series '50-50' was winning audiences over, Qaiser was starring in the famous Pashto comedy show ‘Rang pa Rang’ which aired from the Peshawar centre and is still remembered by local audiences.

He has also worked in four Pashto films but later on bid adieu to Pashto cinema because of lack of quality work. Qaiser has been a vocal critic of the lack of spaces for artists to perform in the province.

According to Aminullah, the artist’s neighbour and close friend, the federal government had taken him to PIMS hospital in Islamabad but he was not getting proper treatment there and his family decided to bring him back to Peshawar.



Amin added that a number of doctors had helped him get medicines because of his recognition and name in entertainment, but now his condition has become more complicated and requires much larger resources.

Amin further said that Qaiser’s family had spent all their savings on his treatment and have nothing left now.

“He (Qaiser) has provided a great service to our culture in the past four decades. It is binding upon the government to stand with him and his family in such difficult times,” he said.