Liaquat Soldier
| Liaquat Ali | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Liaquat Soldier 1952 Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Died |
30 March 2011 (aged 58) Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian |
| Years active | 1973–2011 |
Liaquat Ali (Urdu: لیاقت سولجر ; 1952 – 30 March 2011), better known by his stage name Liaquat Soldier, was a Pakistani stage and television comedy actor, writer, and director. Born in 1952, Soldier started his acting career in 1973. He featured in over 250 plays and co-starred with many famous theatre personalities, including the likes of Moin Akhtar, Furqan Haider, Umer Sharif, Hanif Raja and Shahzad Raza.[1] He came from a modest, low-income family of Marwari background in Karachi. Soldier’s unusual last name was given to him by his friend Nazar Hussain, a stage artist.[1] Channels for which Soldier worked included Geo TV, SAMAA TV, Dhoom TV, Metro, Hum TV and ARY Digital. Overseas, he worked in the United States, Dubai and South Africa.[1]
Death
On 30 March 2011, Soldier died of a heart attack; before his immediate death, he was reportedly participating in a live TV show during a special transmission of the semi-final between India and Pakistan of the 2011 Cricket World Cup and had died by the time he was transported to the hospital.[2][3] His death was called "a big loss to the world of comedy dramas", while, a friend described him as not only a good actor but a “humble, good person."[1] The news of his death was also announced on Cricinfo, in the commentary scorecard at the start of Pakistan's innings in the match.[4]
Soldier is survived by his wife, daughter and three sons. His body is buried in the old Mewa Shah graveyard located in SITE Town.[1]