lit a candle 19h agoFound a clip of his stage work last week and didn't understand a word but the timing needed no translation. Read after that he played cricket for WAPDA before any of the theatre. Strange to think a whole life can start on a cricket pitch and end up making a country laugh instead.
Their story
Asif Iqbal Butt, known to Punjabi theatre audiences as Asif Pheena or simply Pheena, was a Pakistani stage comedian, actor, director and producer whose career stretched across decades of Lahore commercial theatre. He died on Saturday, 19 September 2026, after a heart attack in Lahore. He was 60. His family…
Asif Iqbal Butt, known to Punjabi theatre audiences as Asif Pheena or simply Pheena, was a Pakistani stage comedian, actor, director and producer whose career stretched across decades of Lahore commercial theatre. He died on Saturday, 19 September 2026, after a heart attack in Lahore. He was 60. His family said he was rushed to hospital but could not be saved. Funeral prayers were arranged the same evening after Isha in Nishtar Block.
Born in Gujranwala, Iqbal played cricket for the WAPDA team before turning to theatre. In the 1980s he joined Lahore's Tamaseel Theatre behind the scenes as a programme manager and assistant director, learning stage craft before he performed. He later moved to Alflah Theatre and made his acting debut around 1996, then worked as an actor, director and producer on the live comedy circuit that remains one of Punjab's most popular forms of family entertainment.
Audiences knew him as Pheena, a stage identity built on quick fire dialogue, comic mischief and spontaneous exchanges with co stars. He shared bills with leading Punjabi theatre names including Amanat Chan, Nasir Chinioti and Naseem Vicky. Recordings of his stage work continue to circulate online and introduce his timing to younger viewers who may never have sat in a Lahore theatre hall.
Although the stage was his home, he also appeared on television and in film. TV credits include Syasi Theater and Hadd e Adab (2015), Oouch (2017) and Tanzo Maza (2022), and he was a guest on comedy shows such as Mazaq Raat. Film appearances include Run Mureed and No Tension (both 2013), Chal Mera Putt 2 (2020), Chal Mera Putt 3 (2021) and Drame Aale (2024).
News of his death brought tributes from fellow artists and public officials. Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari called his passing a shock and praised his long theatre service and distinctive conversational style. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also expressed grief. Iqbal is survived by three sons, Hamza Asif, Yasir Asif and Abdullah Asif. His death is another loss for a generation of improvising stage comics whose craft is hard to teach and slow to replace.
Biography adapted from Lahore Times (19 Sep 2026); Dunya News (20 Sep 2026); Daily Times; The Nation; UrduPoint.
In their own words
“His unique style of conversation and acting had earned him a distinct identity in the theatre industry.”
Condolence statement attributed to Punjab Minister Azma Bokhari
“Renowned Pakistani comedian and stage actor Asif Iqbal has passed away, with his family confirming that he died after suffering a heart attack.”
Dunya News report, September 2026
Photos
2Asif Iqbal (Pheena), Pakistani stage comedian
by People Forever
Asif Iqbal tribute image
by People Forever
He really did, some of those old stage recordings are pure comic instinct.