KARACHI, Nov 7: Veteran politician and Chairman of the Dawn Media Group Mahmoud A. Haroon, who died on Thursday after a protracted illness, was laid to rest on Friday alongside his wife Almas Haroon and daughter Nazafreen Haroon in the Gizri Graveyard, Defence Housing Society.
Namaz-i-Janaza was offered according to the Sunni Fiqh at Haroon Villa, and as per the Shia Fiqh at the graveyard.
(Quran Khwani will be held on Saturday at Haroon Villa, 12-G Block 9, Clifton, between Asr and Maghrib prayers, with Dua at 5.30 pm.)
Relatives and friends of Mr Mahmoud Haroon, politicians and journalists, prominent citizens and hundreds of senior Karachiites, particularly from Khadda and Lyari areas, attended the funeral and paid their last respect to the old guard of Pakistan Movement. His elder brother Yusuf A. Haroon was there till the body was lowered to the grave.
Former editor Dawn Salim Asmi attended the funeral while the families of former editors Altaf Hussain and Ahmad Ali Khan visited Haroon Villa to offer condolences. Members of Mr Altaf Gauhar’s family called from Islamabad to condole with Mrs Amber Haroon-Saigol, daughter of Mr Mahmoud Haroon.
Others who paid respect to the departed leader were Sardar Sherbaz Mazari, Illahi Bux Soomro, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, Ardeshir Cowasjee, Mian Mansha, Hasan Mansha, Lt Gen (Retd) Moinuddin Haider, Syed Sardar Ahmad, Prof Adeeb-ul-Hasan Rizvi, Khalid Anwar, Haji Muhammad Yunus, Mir Hasil Bizenjo, Mir Bizen Bizenjo, Shah Muhammad Shah, Prof N.D. Khan, Shafi Jamote, Shafqat Ali Shah Jamote, Syed Zulfikar Ali Shah Jamote, Nisar Effendi, Air Marshal (retd) Daudpota, Jam Madad Ali, Saleem Zia, Yusuf Masti Khan, Iqbal Haider, Abbas Sarfraz, Nasreen Jalil, Anwar Maqsood, Babar Khattak, Irfanullah Khan Marwat, Dr Anwar Naqvi, Kafeel Burni, Bostan Ali Hoti, Nusrat Mirza, Maj (retd) Mustijab Hasan, Abdul Hameed Akhund, Arif Nizami, M.A. Zuberi, Arshad Zuberi and Imran Aslam.
Information Minister Sherry Rehman who arrived in Karachi on Friday drove straight from the airport to Haroon Villa to offer condolences. She paid tribute to Mr Mahmoud Haroon’s services to the Pakistan Movement and as federal minister and Sindh governor.
In Quetta, the Governor of Balochistan, Nawab Zulfiqar Magsi, Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani and Balochistan Assembly Speaker Aslam Bhootani issued statements expressing grief over the passing away of Mr Mahmoud Haroon.
They praised services rendered by the late leader to the country.
The managing committee of the Pakistan Herald Workers Union held a condolence meeting on Friday.
The meeting praised Mr Mahmoud Haroon’s services to the nation and the Dawn Group.
