Presidential award-winning actor Iftikhar Qaiser passes away in Peshawar

He struggled with multiple medical challenges including diabetes, heart disease and renal problems since long

PESHAWAR: Renowned TV artist and comedian Iftikhar Qaiser passed away after prolonged illness on Sunday in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), a family member said.

The veteran actor was suffering from paralyses and had been undergoing medical treatment at Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital for the last seven days.

He had also struggled with multiple medical challenges including diabetes, heart disease and renal problems since long. He associated with the entertainment industry for around 38 years.



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

During the time of PTV Urdu comedy series 50-50 which was winning over audiences, 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 also worked in four Pashto films but later on bid adieu to Pashto cinema because of lack of quality work. The famous actor was a vocal critic of less opportunities 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 and his family decided to bring him back to Peshawar.

He added a number of doctors had helped him getting medicines because of his recognition and name in the entertainment industry, but his condition became even more complicated and required much larger resources.