Pakistani singer Haniya Aslam dies of cardiac arrest; tributes pour in for Coke Studio musician who sang for Alia Bhatt
Haniya Aslam, known for her Pakistani band Zeb-Haniya, died on Sunday, August 11. The news of her death was confirmed by band member Zeb Bangash.
Pakistani musician Haniya Aslam, one-half of Zeb-Haniya, has died at the age of 39 due to a cardiac arrest. The news of her death was first confirmed by her cousin and former band member, Zeb Bangash on Instagram. She sang for Alia Bhatt's 2014 film, Highway. (Also read: Veteran Marathi actor Vijay Kadam dies of cancer at 68)
Haniya Aslam dies
Haniya was a celebrated singer in the Pakistani music industry. She found the popular band Zeb and Haniya, with Zeb Bangash, which became the first Pakistani all-woman band. She gained widespread recognition with her rendition of Chal Diye on Coke Studio Pakistan. In 2014, she moved to Canada to pursue a solo career in music.
Zeb and Haniya also collaborated with Indian artists, notably with A R Rahman in the 2014 film Highway for the song Sooha Saaha. The song marked the singing debut of Alia Bhatt.
Confirming the news of her death, Zeb took to her Instagram to share a series of pictures of Haniya with her guitar, singing and making music. In the caption, she simply wrote: “Hanini (stardust emoticon).”
Fan reactions
Reacting to the post, singer and lyricist Swanand Kirkire commented, “WTF … what happend ? OMG” He later penned a note on his X account and said, “My dear friend Haniya Aslam (from Zeb and Haniya) has left us. She had a cardiac arrest. Rest in peace dear Haniya.”
Several fans reacted to the tragic news in the comment section of Zeb's post and shared their condolences. One fan commented, “Thank you for the music and the memories. My condolences. May she rest in peace, and love & hugs to you, Zeb.” A second fan said, “Lost for words .. just hoping she's singing with the angels.” Another said, “Her music will live on forever! Sending deepest condolences.” “May she rest in eternal peace,” said another fan.