KARACHI: Former president of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain passed away on Wednesday in Karachi.
The former president 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 of Pakistan, who served from 2013 to 2018. He was one of the most senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders.
Originally a businessman, Mamnoon Hussain had started his political career as a Muslim Leaguer 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. The deceased had earned an MBA degree from the prestigious Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi.
He had been actively involved in the PML-N since 1993 when Nawaz Sharif was in the opposition. Before Hussain was appointed as the governor of Sindh by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999 to serve in this position for less than six months, he worked as an advisor to the provincial chief minister (Liaquat Ali Jatoi) for an insignificant portfolio.
After the promulgation of military rule in October 1999, Hussain firmly stood with Nawaz Sharif when multitudes of PML-N leaders simply abandoned their party.
Following the news of Mamnoon Hussain’s demise, condolences from the PML-N, other opposition parties, and government leaders started pouring in.
President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi expressed his condolences over the demise of Hussain and said that he is deeply saddened by the news.
PPP Senator Murtaza Wahab took to Twitter and expressed condolences. “Heard about the sad news of the death of president Mamnoon Hussain. He served his office with grace & dignity. May Allah SWT bless his soul & give strength to the bereaved family,” he wrote.
“May ALLAH rest (former President of Pakistan) Mamnoon Hussain sab’s soul in peace and give his family and friends enough strength to cope with this huge loss,” tweeted PTI Senator Faisal Javed Khan.
Similarly, the Emir of Jamaat-i-Islami Sirajul Haq also conveyed his condolences and said a prayer for the departed soul. “I am deeply saddened to hear of the demise of former president Mamnoon Hussain. To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. May Allah forgive him and grant patience to his family. Ameen.”
MQM’s Faisal Subzwari and PTI MNA Sher Ali Arbab, and several other politicians also expressed their condolences. – TLTP
