Actor Alvi in jail: What wife Ikra told friends before her death
Actor Zaher Alvi is now in jail. On Thursday, a court rejected his bail petition and ordered him to be sent to prison in a case accusing him of abetting the suicide of his wife, Afra Ivnath Khan Ikra. Amid the developments, fresh attention has turned to Ikra’s conversations with friends and details about the plans she had been making for the future before her death.
Ikra died at her home in Mirpur DOHS in the capital on 28 February. Police initially believe it was a case of suicide. However, from the outset, Ikra’s family members, friends and close associates have insisted that the circumstances behind her death require further investigation.
According to Ikra’s longtime friends Samia Alam and Khadija Lupin, she had remained in regular contact with them until just hours before her death. The three friends spoke almost daily on various matters through a private Facebook group, and Ikra was active there on the morning of the incident as well.
Samia Alam claimed that at 10:46 am that day, Ikra sent a message to the group mentioning plans to go to Nepal. At the time, her friends interpreted it as a moment of anger or emotional distress, particularly because they had been invited to Ikra’s home for iftar later that evening.
Samia said, “We thought she was upset. So we told her to have iftar first and then make whatever decision she wanted afterwards. We were simply trying to keep her calm.”
However, Ikra did not respond after sending that message. Her friends tried to contact her around midday but received no reply. Shortly afterwards, news of her death emerged.
Her friends insist Ikra was not someone who would take her own life; rather, she was making plans for the future. According to Samia Alam, Ikra had told them she wanted to make a decision regarding her relationship with her husband, Zaher Alvi. She had even discussed the possibility of divorce with them.
Samia said, “Ikra said she would make a decision after Alvi returned to the country. She talked about getting a divorce. At the same time, she was planning to start a new business and was also thinking about what she would do in the future with Rizik.”
According to her friends, much of Ikra’s discussions centred on the future of her son, Rizik. She often spoke about where he would live, how he would be raised and how she intended to restart her career.
Following Ikra’s death, statements made by her friends on social media sparked widespread discussion. Samia Alam questioned at the time, “What did Alvi say over the phone that Ikra could not bear? None of us know. But the matter needs to be investigated.”
Meanwhile, the case statement alleges that Ikra had been under mental pressure due to longstanding family disputes, psychological abuse and her husband’s alleged extramarital affair. It also states that tensions in their marriage escalated after she learned about his relationship with another woman around two years ago.
After Ikra’s death, Zaher Alvi initially expressed grief through emotional social media posts and live broadcasts. However, he was later seen making different statements online, with several of his posts triggering fresh controversy.
What stands out most from Ikra’s conversations with her friends before her death is that she was thinking about the future, making new plans and talking about taking decisions regarding her life. For that reason, many of those close to her still view her death as unusual and deeply questionable.