Celebrated Sindhi poet, Akash Ansari tragically died in a house fire in Hyderabad on Saturday. The police have sealed the house for a thorough investigation, with a postmortem conducted at the request of law enforcement.
The 69-year-old poet succumbed to severe burn injuries after a fire broke out in his room while he was asleep.
The incident occurred in Citizen Colony early Saturday morning, with family members desperately attempting to extinguish the flames before Hyderabad emergency services arrived.
According to Dilbar Halepoto, a member of the Desert Emergency Response Team (DERT), the fire was reported at 8:47 AM, and the team reached the scene just eight minutes later. Upon arrival, they found the room engulfed in smoke, with a likely cause being a short circuit.
Halepoto recounted the harrowing scene, stating, “Everything in the room, including the sofa set, bed, and false ceiling, were destroyed.” Tragically, Ansari was discovered near the entrance of the room, suggesting he may have tried to escape the blaze.
The body will be taken to Badin for burial, while the police are exploring the possibility of foul play, given that Ansari had previously registered an FIR against his adopted son for fraud in 2024. “If there is any indication of foul play, we will register a case under Section 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code,” stated SSP Dr. Farrukh Ali.
Dr. Akash Ansari, originally from the coastal district of Badin, was not only a doctor by profession but also a prominent figure in Sindhi literature. His poetry, characterized by themes of resistance and romanticism, resonated deeply within the Sindhi community.
His contributions to literature were significant, with two compilations of poetry published and his work celebrated by renowned artists like Abida Parveen and Mohammad Yousuf.
