Pakistani musician Haniya Aslam, known for being one-half of the duo Zeb-Haniya, has passed away at the age of 39 due to a cardiac arrest. The tragic news was initially shared on Instagram by her cousin and former bandmate, Zeb Bangash. Haniya contributed her vocals to Alia Bhatt’s 2014 film Highway.
Aslam was a prominent figure in the Pakistani music scene, co-founding the trailblazing band Zeb and Haniya with Zeb Bangash, which became Pakistan’s first all-woman band. She rose to fame with her performance of “Chal Diye” on Coke Studio Pakistan. In 2014, she relocated to Canada to pursue a solo music career.
Zeb and Haniya also worked with Indian artists, most notably collaborating with A. R. Rahman on the song “Sooha Saaha” for Highway, which was Alia Bhatt’s singing debut.
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Zeb Bangash confirmed the news of Haniya Aslam’s passing by posting a series of photos on Instagram, showcasing Haniya with her guitar, singing, and creating music. Zeb’s caption for the post was simple: “Hanini” followed by a stardust emoticon.
Haniya Aslam was born in Karachi. According to Youlin Magazine, she pursued her education in the USA and UK and later completed her Audio Engineering Diploma (AED) in Canada. In a 2020 interview with the publication, she remarked, “I’m not sure if I started pursuing music or if music started pursuing me!”