Ex-president Mamnoon Hussain, who padded away at the age of 80, was laid to rest on Thursday in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority Phase 8, in the presence of several prominent religious and political leaders.
The former president breathed his last at a private hospital in Karachi a day earlier. His son Arsalan Mamnoon said his father had been battling cancer, reported Geo.
The funeral prayers of the former president were offered at Masjid-e-Sultan, led by Mufti Taqi Usmani.
Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, PML-N General Secretary Ahsan Iqbal, former Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair, and PPP’s Waqar Mehdi were present, among other political figures.
He was suffering from cancer and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital for the last two weeks, his son said.
Hussain was the 12th president, who served from 2013 to 2018. He was one of the senior leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
Originally a businessman, Hussain started his political career from the platform of the Muslim League in 1969. At the time, he was made the joint secretary of the Karachi chapter of the league when former minister of state for foreign affairs Zain Noorani was its president.
He had earned an MBA degree from the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi.
Hussain had been actively involved in the PML-N since 1993 when its chief Nawaz Sharif was in the opposition. Before his appointment as the governor of Sindh by then-prime minister Sharif in 1999, a position he kept for less than six months, he worked as an advisor to the chief minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi.
After the promulgation of military rule in October 1999, Hussain firmly stood with Sharif at a time when multitudes of party leaders jumped ship.
Following the news of Hussain’s demise, condolences from the PML-N, other opposition parties, and government leaders started pouring in.
Earlier today, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has expressed sorrow over the death of Hussain and offered condolences to his family.
In his condolence statement, the Chief Minister conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the family and prayed for the forgiveness of the deceased and patience for the bereaved family. He said that he shares the grief of the family equally.
Similarly, Pakistan Air Force Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu on Thursday expressed heartfelt condolence on the demise of former President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain.
“May Allah bless the departed soul, and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss, Ameen!” the CAS said in a news release.
The leadership of Businessmen Group and office bearers of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry have expressed heartfelt grief and sorrow on the sad demise of the former president of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain who passed away after a prolonged illness.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday, Chairman BMG Zubair Motiwala, Vice Chairmen BMG Tahir Khaliq, Haroon Farooki and Anjum Nisar, General Secretary BMG AQ Khalil, President KCCI Shariq Vohra, Senior Vice President Saqib Goodluck, Vice President Shamsul Islam Khan expressed condolences and sympathies with the members of the bereaved family of Late Mamnoon who sincerely and honestly served Pakistan throughout his life.
They mentioned that besides serving as President of Pakistan, Late Mamnoon Hussain also served as President Karachi Chamber in 1999 but had to soon resign from this post to take charge as Governor of Sindh. Indeed, it was an honour for all of us that one of our colleagues attained some of the highest and most prestigious positions.
They said that Late Mamnoon Hussain was an active and dedicated BMGIAN who will always be remembered for his contribution and support to the business and industrial community of Karachi.
BMG leadership and KCCI office bearers stated that Mamnoon Hussain possessed a very unique personality which admired thousands of people who had the opportunity of interacting with him because of his calm and polite nature.
They prayed to Almighty Allah to shower His blessings upon the departed soul and give patience to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss with equanimity.
with additional input from APP, PPI