KARACHI: Former president of Pakistan and senior PML-N leader Mamnoon Husain passed away here on Wednesday, according to family and party leaders. He was in his 80s.

He left behind a widow and three sons. Time of his funeral prayer would be decided later, said Chaudhry Tariq, former coordinator of the former president and PML-N Sindh additional secretary general.

Mamnoon Husain was diagnosed with cancer in February last year and had been under treatment. He was admitted to a private hospital some days ago where he breathed his last.

Chaudhry Tariq and another PML-N leader Nasiruddin Mehmood recalled that Mamnoon Husain received education up to matric level at his home and got admission to Government Commerce College. He did MBA from IBA Karachi.

He mostly remained associated with the shoe business of his family. The family had set up a big business dealing with shoes in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

Later, Mr Husain also started exporting fruits. “He may be considered one of the pioneers of fruits exports,” said Mr Mehmood.

Mamnoon Husain joined politics in late 1960s as he was closely associated with then politician-cum-businessman Abdul Khaliq Allahwala after whose name is a big market on M.A. Jinnah Road. Mr Allahwala also served as deputy mayor of Karachi.

Mamnoon Husain remained joint secretary of the then Muslim League in the 1970s. Subsequently, he focused on his business and was considered an active member of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

When Nawaz Sharif came to power first time in 1991, Mamnoon Husain along with some businessmen joined the PML-N and remained its active member. He was made governor of Sindh during the second government of Nawaz Sharif in the late 1990s.

Chaudhry Tariq recalled that there was a time during the Mush­a­r­raf regime that Mamnoon Husain had held three posts in the PML-N Sindh simultaneously when the party was under persecution.

He was elected as president of Pakistan when the PML-N came to power in 2013.

“After completing his tenure as president on Sept 9, 2018, he almost abandoned politics and kept a low profile,” Mr Mehmood said.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2021