Veteran Pakistani comedian and television personality Omer Sharif is critically ill, his family said on Saturday, seeking help from the Prime Minister’s Office to arrange a health visit to the US. Omer, 66, a noted actor and producer in the sub-continent, is presently admitted in a private hospital in Karachi. He underwent a heart bypass surgery last year and since then his condition has deteriorated, including memory loss. “He is confined to a wheelchair now and he requires urgent medical attention in the USA from specialists. If he is not able to travel to the USA he will have to undergo an open heart surgery here which can be fatal for his life,” his wife Zareen said.
Sindh Province Governor Imran Ismail and Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chawdhary visited Umar at the hospital and assured his wife arrangements were being made to fly the actor to the USA. Umer started his career from Karachi as a stage performer at the age of 14. He joined theatre, using the stage name Umer Zarif but later renamed that to Umer Sharif.Some of his extremely popular comedy stage plays were 1989'sBakra Qistoon Pe and Buddha Ghar Pe Hai. He gained popularity in the sub-continent the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. Referred to as the "King of Comedy", Sharif is considered one of the greatest comedians of Indian subcontinent. Popular Indian comedians like Johnny Lever and Raju Srivastav hailed him as "The God Of Asian Comedy". He received the National Award for ''Best Director'' and ''Best Actor'' in 1992 for superhit film ''Mr 420''. He was also the host of the hugely popular Geo TV show ''The Shareef Show''.