Former president of Pakistan and PML-N loyalist Mamnoon Hussain gave up the ghost in Karachi on Wednesday after a protracted illness, consistent with his family and party leaders. He was 80.
Hussain served because of the 12th President of Pakistan between September 2013 and September 2018. He had replaced Asif Ali Zardari and was succeeded by Arif Alvi.
He was diagnosed with cancer in February last year and was under treatment at a personal hospital within the city for a few days where he breathed his last, consistent with his former coordinator and PML-N Sindh additional Secretary General Chaudhry Tariq.
Hussain has left behind a widow and three sons. The time and place of his funeral prayers are going to be announced later, Tariq said.
Politicians belonging to varied parties expressed grief and condolences at the passing of the previous president.
President Arif Alvi expressed sorrow over his demise, saying he shared the pain of his bereaved family.
صدر مملکت ڈاکٹر عارف علوی کا سابق صدر ممنون حسین کے انتقال پر اظہار افسوس
صدر مملکت کا سابق صدر ممنون حسین کے انتقال پر گہرے رنج وغم کا اظہار
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) July 14, 2021
PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif also shared sadness over Hussain’s death. “Today, we’ve lost a valued one that loved Pakistan and had an honest character,” a tweet by the PML-N president’s account quoted him as saying.
“He was Nawaz Sharif’s trustworthy, loyal and ideological companion. He steadfastly stood by the party through all the highs and lows.
“His services for the country and therefore the nation are going to be remembered for long,” Shehbaz said.
Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed his condolences on Hussain’s demise. “May Allah blesses his soul & give strength to the bereaved family in touch this irreparable loss, ” he was quoted as saying by the ISPR.
General Qamar Javed Bajwa, #COAS, expresses heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of former President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain. “May Allah bless his soul & give strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss, Ameen”, COAS.
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) July 14, 2021
PML-N vice-chairman Maryam Nawaz said she was deeply saddened by the previous president’s passing.
“He was a sincere man who served Pakistan with complete honesty,” she tweeted.
سابق صدر پاکستان ممنون حسین صاحب کی وفات پر دِلی افسوس ہوا ہے۔ وہ ایک مخلص شخص تھے جنہوں نے پوری ایمانداری کے ساتھ پاکستان کی خدمت کی۔
اللہ تعالیٰ مرحوم کو جوارِ رحمت میں جگہ عطاء فرمائے۔ آمین pic.twitter.com/Uobq8C1NhI— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 14, 2021
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tweeted: “My deepest condolences on the passing of former President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain. May Allah grant his family the strength to touch this great loss.”
My deepest condolences on the passing of former President of Pakistan, Mamnoon Hussain. May Allah grant his family the strength to bear this great loss.
— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) July 14, 2021
PTI Senator Faisal Javed Khan also conveyed his condolences, praying for strength for Hussain’s family and friends to deal with the loss.
اللہ تعالی سابق صدر پاکستان ممنون حسین کی مغفرت فرمائے اور ان کے اہل خانہ اور عزیز و اقارب کو صبر جمیل عطا فرمائے – آمین
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.— Faisal Javed Khan (@FaisalJavedKhan) July 14, 2021
Sindh chief minister’s adviser Murtaza Wahab also shared sadness at Hussain’s demise, saying “he served his office with grace and dignity.”
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
— Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui (@murtazawahab1) July 14, 2021
Who was Mamoon Hussain?
A textile businessman from Karachi, Hussain was born in 1940 in Agra and migrated together with his parents to Pakistan in 1947.
He was a graduate of the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi.
Chaudhry Tariq and another PML-N leader, Nasiruddin Mehmood, told Dawn.com that Hussain received his education up to Matric reception, before getting to attend college.
He mostly remained related to the shoe business of his family which was established on an enormous scale within then Bangladesh (now Bangladesh). Later, he also started exporting fruits. “He could also be considered one among the pioneers among fruit exporters,” Mehmood commented.
Hussain joined politics within the late 1960s following his close association with politician-cum-businessman Abdul Khaliq Allahwala.
He remained the joint secretary of the then-Muslim League within the 1970s. He subsequently turned his specialize in his business and was considered a lively member of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
When Nawaz Sharif came to power in 1990 for the primary time, Hussain alongside a number of his businessmen friends joined the PML-N and remained a lively member of the party. He was governor of Sindh from June to October 1999 when Nawaz’s government was overthrown by the then army chief, Gen Pervez Musharraf.
There was a time during Gen Musharraf’s era when Hussain held three posts in PML-N Sindh at an equivalent time because the party was under persecution, recalled Tariq.
He also served as an adviser to the then-chief minister of Sindh Liaquat Jatoi. In 2002, Hussain contested the elections from Karachi’s NA-250 but remained unsuccessful.
He was elected because the president when the PML-N came to power in 2013.
Hussain resigned from his membership of the PML-N soon after the results of the election were announced in what was seen as a symbolic move to determine himself as a non-partisan president.
“After completing his tenure as president of Pakistan on Sept 9, 2018, he nearly abandoned politics and adopted a really low profile,” Nasiruddin said.
