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Pakistani actress Meera is mourning the death of her younger sister, Shaista Abbas, who passed away in a London hospital after battling cancer for several years.
Speaking to Geo News from New York, Meera confirmed the tragic news and expressed deep sorrow over being unable to meet her sister before her death due to repeated refusals of her British visa applications.
Meera said she had made several appeals to British authorities, including on humanitarian grounds, as Shaista’s health continued to deteriorate.
Shaista Battled Cancer for Several Years
According to another sister, Aksa Abbas, Shaista had been hospitalised for the past two months. Before that, she had experienced repeated hospital admissions and discharges over nearly a year as her condition worsened.
Shaista received support from her sister Aksa, their mother Shafqat Zahra Bukhari and their brother, who travelled from Pakistan to London to be with her.
Shaista, a qualified lawyer and single mother, leaves behind an infant daughter. Meera has announced plans to adopt the child following her sister’s death.
Shaista Recalled Meera’s Sacrifices for Family
In a February 2025 interview with Geo News in London, Shaista spoke about the sacrifices Meera had made for their family after their father’s death.
Shaista recalled that she was just six years old when their father passed away. As the eldest sibling, Meera took responsibility for supporting the family, helping their mother and financing her siblings’ education.
She also helped her family settle in Britain, purchased their London home and supported Shaista’s ambition to become a lawyer.
Shaista described Meera as the family’s biggest financial and emotional support, saying they considered her almost like a parent because of everything she had done for them.
Although Meera wanted Shaista to return to Pakistan and pursue an acting career, Shaista preferred to continue her legal profession in London. She had initially studied business before switching to law and later appeared in the Pakistani television drama Seep.
Meera’s British Visa Appeals
Meera’s difficulties in obtaining a British visa date back to an immigration incident at Heathrow Airport. In February 2025, Geo News reported that British authorities had imposed a 10-year entry ban on her following the incident.
Her family maintained that the matter resulted from misunderstandings during questioning in English.
Although the ban had expired, a subsequent visa application was refused after a travel agent reportedly submitted incorrect information, with British authorities citing false representations.
In July 2025, Meera publicly appealed to British High Commissioner Jane Marriott to consider her visa application on its merits so she could visit her sister during cancer treatment.
As Shaista’s condition became critical in September 2026, Meera renewed her humanitarian appeal, saying her sister was suffering from advanced-stage cancer and that she desperately wanted to be with her family in London.
Meera Shares Emotional Tribute
Meera also shared emotional messages on social media, remembering Shaista’s determination to become a lawyer and their close bond.
In one heartfelt message, she expressed her pain at being separated from her seriously ill sister and her longing to hear Shaista call her “Baji” again.
Despite repeated appeals, Meera could not reach London before her sister passed away.
Shaista Abbas will be laid to rest in London.
