PESHAWAR: Prominent Pashto comedian Murad Ali, popularly known as Gul Bali, died after protracted illness here on Friday.

He was laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard in Bana Mari, Peshawar. A large number of his fans, artists, drama writers and local people participated in his funeral prayer.

Hailing from Bana Mari, Gul Bali, in his early 60s, was famous for his comedy roles in TV, stage, CD and tele-film plays. He had performed in more than 400 TV plays and stage shows during his career spread over four decades. He was suffering from hepatitis-C and other serious health complications.

Gul Bali was already in precarious conditions and a few days ago doctors at the Lady Reading Hospital had told his family members that he was incurable following which they shifted him to his home.

However, early on Friday when his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to a private hospital where he breathed his last.

He had performed in over 400 TV and stage plays

Gul Bali had no child. He left behind a widow and three adopted daughters to mourn his death.

Noted dwarf TV actor, Zardar Khan, known as Bulbul, told Dawn that Gul Bali was a born actor. Currently, he said, there were many actors but they couldn’t be compared with Gul Bali for his talent and performance. Gul Bali made the audience to laugh in his life, said Mr Bulbul, a comedian himself.

Bulbul said that as a human being Gul Bali was a humble and down to earth person. In his routine life, he would talk less but on the stage he was a big source of entertainment for the audience.

Tariq Jamal, a noted TV actor and president of the artists’ organisation ‘Awaz’, told Dawn that Gul Bali would remain alive in the hearts of the audience. He said that the vacuum created with the sad demise of Gul Bali would not be filled for many years to come.

Cultural Journalists Forum chairman Ihtesham Toru said that the government should establish an endowment fund for the artists as they and their families were often in need of financial assistance.

He demanded of the government to announce monthly stipend for the widow and daughters of Gul Bali as whatever he had earned in his career had been spent on prolonged treatment.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2014