QUETTA: Senior JUI-F leader, veteran politician and scholar, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, passed away late on Wednesday night, his family confirmed. He was 74.

His funeral prayers will be held at his madressah, and he will be laid to rest in his native Quetta.

Hafiz Hussain Ahmed had been suffering from kidney disease and undergoing dialysis, due to which he had largely withdrawn from active politics in recent years.

Born in 1951 in Quetta into a religious family, he was the son of Maulana Araz Muhammad, a leading Islamic scholar who was affiliated with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) during the leadership of Maulana Mufti Mehmood.

Following his father’s passing in 1973, he began his political career from Balochistan, later rising to prominence at the national level. He held key positions in Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam and the Pakistan National Alliance (PNA). He also served as deputy parliamentary leader of JUI-F in the National Assembly.

Hafiz Hussain Ahmed was first elected as an MNA in 1988 on a JUI-F ticket. He later served as a senator from 1991 to 1994 and again from 2002 to 2007.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq expressed their deep grief over the passing of Mr Ahmed.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2025