New Delhi, Jul 7 (UNI) South Asia mourned the loss of legendary film actor Dilip Kumar who died in Mumbai after prolonged illness on Wednesday at the age of 98.
The civil society in Pakistan remembered the Hindi film thespian who was born Yusuf Khan in Peshawar in pre-partitioned India.
His father was a fruit merchant who took his family to India's entertainment capital in the 1930s.
Only on Tuesday when Kumar was in hospital, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa directorate of archeology and museums had taken possession of his ancestral home and that of another Indian legend Raj Kapoor inside the walled city of the provincial capital.
Pakistan has bestowed its highest civilian award, Nishan-e-Pakistan, on Kumar who its people consider a son of the soil.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that for his generation Kumar was the "greatest and most versatile actor".
"Saddened to learn of Dilip Kumar's passing. I can never forget his generosity in giving his time to help raise funds for Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust Hospital when the project was launched.
"This is the most difficult time - to raise first 10 per cent of the funds & his appearance in Pak & London helped raise huge amounts," he said in a tweet.
According to former minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, the actor had intervened with then prime minister Nawaz Sharif to help defuse the Kargil conflict between the two neighbours.
In Dhaka, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina voiced deep shock and sorrow at the death of Kumar.
She prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family members.
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