Ex-president Mamnoon Hussain passes away: President, PM, COAS, opposition leader in NA, others grieved

KARACHI: Former president and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s central leader Mamnoon Hussain passed away here on Wednesday after a battle with cancer, his family said. He was 80. Hussain was admitted to a private hospital for the last week in Karachi, according to his son Arsalan Mamnoon. Hussain was diagnosed with cancer in February 2020.

Hussain was born in 1940 in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, in India, and his family migrated to Pakistan in 1947 at the time of Partition.

He graduated from the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi in 1965. He served as the head of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Hussain had been an active member of the PML-N for the past several decades.

He was governor of Sindh from June to October 1999 when the Nawaz Sharif's government was overthrown by the-then army chief General Pervez Musharraf through a military coup. He also previously served as an adviser to the-then chief minister of the province, Liaquat Jatoi.

After the military coup, Hussain firmly stood with Nawaz Sharif when a large number of PML-N leaders abandoned their party and formed PML-Quaid.

In 2002, Hussain contested the elections on the PML-N ticket from Karachi’s then NA-250 constituency but remained unsuccessful.

In July 2013, he was elected as the 12th President of Pakistan for a five-year term, replacing Pakistan People’s Party supremo Asif Ali Zardari. He had defeated former SC judge Wajihuddin Ahmad of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. He leaves behind a wife and three sons.

PML-N Sindh’s secretary information Khwaja Tariq Nazeer said the timing and venue of funeral prayers will be announced later.

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 condolence over the demise of Hussain and said that he was deeply saddened by the news.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also expressed their sorrow on Hussain’s demise.

"We are deeply saddened over the death of former president of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain. He was a sincere man who served Pakistan with utmost sincerity. May Allah Almighty grant him a place in the tide of mercy," said PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz.

Governor Sindh Imran Ismail, PML-N’s MNA Kheal Das Kohistani, PPP’s senior leader Qaim Ali Shah, provincial minister Ismail Rahoo, Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan’s leader Senator Faisal Subzwari, Pak Sarzameen Party chief Syed Mustafa Kamal and several other politicians also expressed their condolences over the demise of Mamnoon.

Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Opposition Leader in the Natonal Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and others expressed grief over the sad demise of former President Mamnoon Hussain.

In condolence messages, they prayed eternal peace for the departed soul as well as courage for the bereaved members of the family. " We share the sorrow of bereaved family in this hour of grief," they added.