Singer Haniya Aslam Dies After Suffering Cardiac Arrest

Pakistani musician Haniya Aslam, one-half of the music duo Zeb and Haniya, has died. Her death was confirmed by her bandmate Zeb Bangash, who shared a gallery of images of the late musician on Instagram alongside a simple caption reading, “Hanini.” Although Bangash didn’t disclose Aslam’s cause of death, several outlets reported that she passed away on Sunday, after suffering a cardiac arrest. She was 39.

Born in Kohat, Pakistan, Aslam credited her interest in music to coming from a musically inclined family, previously stating, per Dawn, “in my family, when you get together and wanted to have fun, there were two things you could do; eat or play music.” After getting her start in the Islamabad underground music scene playing with bands like Corduroy on open mic nights, Aslam and Bangash, her cousin, began collaborating together while in college, releasing the song “Chup” in 2001. The song was a hit and followed by “Yaad,” with the cousins soon beginning to perform together live.

Amid their success, Aslam and Bangash in 2007 formally founded the band Zeb and Haniya and began recording their debut album, Chup!, which released in Pakistan the following year. The band became known for blending traditional Eastern music with Western influences, their success leading to appearances on Pakistani television networks and performances of songs like “Paimona”, “Chup,” and “Chal Diye” at Coke Studio Sessions.

After leaving the band in 2014, Aslam moved to Canada, where she earned an Audio Engineering Diploma, stating in a November 2023 interview, “throughout my time in Zeb and Haniya… I was far more interested near the [control] board than what was happening on stage or in the recording booth. Took me a while to realise that the intersection of music and technology is where I belong.”

Although she stepped away from Zeb and Haniya, she never left music, instead pursuing a solo career. She released songs including “Ayi Re” and returned to Coke Studio with the feminist track “Main Irada.” She also composed songs for films including Lala Begum, Maypole Rose, and Dobara Phir Se.

News of her passing sparked a wave of tributes, singer and lyricist Swanand Kirkire writing on X (formerly Twitter), “My dear friend Haniya Aslam (from Zeb and Haniya) has left us. She had a cardiac arrest. Rest in peace dear Haniya.” Commenting on Bangash’s post, Anirudh Varma wrote, “I’m so sorry to hear about this. May her soul rest in peace. Her music will be celebrated forever.”