ONE of Pakistan’s most eminent surgeons and a former head of Pakistan Army’s surgical establishment, Lt-Gen Mahmood-ul-Hassan died in Rawalpindi on Jan 26. He was buried the same day in a graveyard at Tarnol in the suburbs of the capital.

In his long and industrious surgical career Gen Hassan operated on many important personalities including Gen Ziaul Haq when he was president.

Gen Zia firmly rejected going for surgery abroad saying that in the presence of Lt-Gen Mahmood-ul-Hassan it should not be necessary for anyone to go for surgical advice or operation to any other country.

Besides being a skillful surgeon, Lt Gen Mahmood-ul-Hassan was also a poet of considerable merit and five compilations of his poetry were published.

Kunwar Idris
Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2019