Former model, writer Annie Ali Khan found dead after fire at apartment
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Former model and freelance journalist Quratulain (Annie) Ali Khan was found dead inside her residence in Karachi on Saturday.
Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) South Omar Shahid told Dawn that her body was recovered from her flat located on the third floor in the Qasr-e-Zainab building situated in the red zone near Karachi Gymkhana and State Guest House.
Police believe it is a case of suicide, and that the deceased may have set her books on fire, owing to which she suffocated to death.
Her body was shifted to Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre where doctors confirmed that suffocation was the cause of death. There were apparently no burn or injury marks on her body.
SSP Shahid said that she was living alone in her flat as her husband reportedly lives abroad.
Another police official, Artillery Maidan Station House Officer Safdar Mashwani, told Dawn that they received information from a neighbour that smoke was emanating from her flat. The police rushed to the spot and found the door locked from inside. The police broke down the door and found her body inside along with some burnt books.
A former neighbour of the deceased told Dawn that Annie had been working as a writer and wrote for various magazines. She has also recently completed her book and said that it was perhaps under in the process of publication.
Annie, 38, was a former model who branched off into journalism and documentary production, and has contributed to Dawn, Herald, Slate, The Express Tribune, The Asia Society, and The Caravan, among other publications.
She wrote 'The missing daughters of Pakistan' for Herald last year.
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On DawnNews
Comments (56) Closed
Jul 21, 2018 08:15pm
Rip
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Jul 21, 2018 08:26pm
Sad to hear :(
Rest in peace dear Annie Ali
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Jul 21, 2018 08:27pm
Very sad, may she rest in peace
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Jul 21, 2018 09:15pm
Rip dear maam
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Jul 21, 2018 09:20pm
Suicide is a waste of life and resources. Please investigate why did she take the extreme step.
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Jul 21, 2018 10:20pm
Fishy...fishy...fishy story!
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Jul 21, 2018 10:32pm
She wrote so much to protect the life of women in Pakistan, but it is sad that she took her own life. The country will miss her. May her soul rest in peace!
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Jul 21, 2018 10:53pm
Seems fishy .
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Jul 21, 2018 11:01pm
Really sad. We already have had Viveka Babajee, Kulraj Randhawa and Nafisa Joseph. Its heartbreaking to.see young people commit suicide. I dunno about her personal life but I guess urban isolation is destroying us. Community support to lonely people is all but non existent. Nobody should die because he/shedidn't have anybody to turn to.
RIP Annie. We failed you.
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Jul 21, 2018 11:04pm
It is tough for women and specially single women - may her soul Rest In Peace and May our society learns to respect and be kind to women in general and women in distress in particular.
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Jul 21, 2018 11:16pm
One more of our brave daughters bites the dust, RIP.
Sabeen, Asma, Bhutto, Fatima and endless others have given their lives for the truth, some have survived like Malala or Marwi. Mary their tribe persevere and grow. Ameen.
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Jul 21, 2018 11:22pm
Foul play should be investigated
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Jul 21, 2018 11:25pm
Rip , we have lost such an acumen writer who has no compensation forever.
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Jul 21, 2018 11:28pm
Something is fishy. Needs thorough investigation.
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Jul 21, 2018 11:52pm
Hope we know the truth. It is heart breaking to lose such talent of the country. A really sad news. Hope we know the truth, especially knowing the topics she covered.
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Jul 21, 2018 11:54pm
Very Very suspicious indeed.
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Jul 21, 2018 11:55pm
Been reading on Annie every since this news, and chanced on her latest writings "The missing daughters of Pakistan" published around the end of 2017. Needless to say, very interesting, informative and shines a really non-flattering spotlight on the female unfriendly practices all over. She was sure to have picked some powerful enemies after such an eye opener article that really took facts to the outside world eliciting government action.
It seems to be a slam dunk that if she had gone into more unchartered territory, she would be targeted. Asma is not there anymore, after all. Very unfortunate.
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Jul 22, 2018 12:15am
Looks suspicious
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Jul 22, 2018 12:44am
Why are beautiful souls leaving us :(
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Jul 22, 2018 02:37am
very sad RIP . hope there is no foul play . the agencies should look into this
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Jul 22, 2018 02:47am
This is so so sad. Where was her family ?
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Jul 22, 2018 02:48am
This is so so sad.
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Jul 22, 2018 03:27am
Sad.
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Jul 22, 2018 04:28am
Looks very suspicious, she was a strong individual raising voice for honour killings. May she rest in peace & we find the real cause.
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Jul 22, 2018 05:54am
Suicide? yeah right who believes that she was killed..
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Jul 22, 2018 06:28am
Something is fishy here,this doesn't look or smell right. But the case will be closed quickly.
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Jul 22, 2018 06:35am
Needs full investigation
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Jul 22, 2018 06:39am
This fire is highly suspect.
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Jul 22, 2018 09:56am
Sad news - RIP.
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Jul 22, 2018 11:45am
Stay safe Cyril.
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Jul 22, 2018 12:47pm
What a tragedy and shame such a lovely, talented, and brave, lady died at such a young age. Greater shame and tragedy if she died of suicide because she had nobody to fall back on or got lonely. Makes your heart weep fir her and others like her now gone or still living unhappily.
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Jul 22, 2018 02:31pm
seems fishy too but our corrupt and stupid disgusting police will obvisouly close this case quickly. i highly doubt this was suicide she was probably murdered. but who gives a damn in this disgusting and corrupt country. shame on the people of pakistan. anyone who tries to raise a voice for the right cause in this damn country gets murdered. it is appalling and disgusting. and especially women. women's rights in this country? i laugh at the thought of that. this country will become the next somaila watch.
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Jul 22, 2018 04:20pm
Hard to believe this story, this book fire suicide thing.
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Jul 22, 2018 04:24pm
why are people killing themselves even when they have fame and money?
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Jul 22, 2018 04:29pm
I feel something fishy about this incident.
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Jul 22, 2018 04:42pm
That's heartbreaking to lose a talented artist. I think she featured in the Jal band song as well. Mental health is continuously overlooked in our society and depression seeps in without any help available..
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Jul 22, 2018 05:41pm
Really sad to hear such a talented person is no longer with us. May her soul rest in peace
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Jul 22, 2018 06:08pm
Heard first time ever that some one Burns book to fill the room with smoke so that he can die.
He / she generally Burns self by setting to fire whole room or use noose if want to choke to death.
It is so easy to simulate this by wearing oxygen mask and then simply slip away through windows after locking room from inside.
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Jul 22, 2018 08:20pm
But she was so happy about her forthcoming book, that is all she talked about. She was interviewing some very high profile figure from Karachi. She just could not commit suicide, no way.
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Jul 22, 2018 09:42pm
@Rajendra Tiwari think she was killed
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Jul 23, 2018 06:44am
Mental illness is a major cause of fatalities. Pakistan needs to have a hotline access to people who are contemplating suicide or those who are acting irrationally. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
Society should do whatever to stop people from taking their lives.
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Jul 23, 2018 08:38am
This is fishy, likely a murder
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Jul 23, 2018 09:06am
we lost a shinnig star. RIP
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Jul 23, 2018 09:33am
So Sad... May her soul rest in peace.
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Jul 23, 2018 10:06am
Investigate. Further than this.
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Jul 23, 2018 02:48pm
RIP, Annie.
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Jul 23, 2018 03:27pm
Sounds very fishy....... suicide by burning books
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Jul 23, 2018 05:39pm
RIP lonely soul.
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Jul 23, 2018 11:59pm
So let me get this straight. She sets her books on fire and waits around so she can die due to suffocation. Noone commits suicide like that. Use common sense people.
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Jul 24, 2018 12:56am
I dont know, i am just not happy here, this is a creative busy woman. and she could upset a person who has a bad outlook upon women. She was determined to bring new ideas, introduce them to Pakistan. I am sorry but how she died worries me.
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Jul 24, 2018 02:28am
The idea that someone would commit suicide by burning books and inhaling smoke seems untenable.
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Jul 24, 2018 03:55am
:( RIP beautiful soul. I wish I could save her. Culprits must be giving strict punishment.
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Jul 24, 2018 07:23am
@Ola honor killings? you serious? no need to just comment negative when its irrelative
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Jul 24, 2018 07:55am
She was an intellectual young lady. Unfortunately, our society seems unsuited for a 'bachelor girl' type of living. It could be a suicide out of frustration or a case of hate crime. Her death sadly is unlikely to be investigated thoroughly.
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Jul 24, 2018 01:18pm
To be frank I do not know here nor have I read (knowingly) her articles or books; however, it is sad that one takes such extreme steps of committing (!) suicide.
Firstly, it is not in line with the Islamic teachings and secondly what happened in her life that she could not overcome and ended her life. Or is there some foul play?
Inna Lillahe wa Inna Ilaihi Rajeoon.
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Jul 24, 2018 08:43pm
Suppose someone detests her intellectual and investigative journalistic work.
What better and sadistic enjoyment for him than to punish her by burning her books in front of her to suffocate her and make her to understand that her death would be considered and closed as suicide and relising her terror filled lost moments.
It may or may not have happened this way but this is an angle which should be investigated for 3 reasons:1) This method of suicide had not been heard before 2) No suicide note.3) Intellectual people rarely burn books where as anti intellectual such as Nazi Germany had routinely made bonafires of books.
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