Politicians condole family on Mian Sharif’s death

* Kasuri, Sahi and Qazi call his death a national loss

Staff Report

LAHORE: Political and religious leaders condoled the Sharif family on the death of Mian Sharif on Saturday.

Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri expressed grief over the demise of Mian Sharif. He conveyed his heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the Sharif family and prayed for the departed soul.

Chaudhry Muhammad Afzal Sahi, the speaker of the Punjab Assembly, also grieved the loss. They both termed the demise as a great loss to the Pakistani nation. Mian Sharif was an emblem of honesty, trueness, and courage, said Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa, the Punjab president for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

Mr Khosa said that he was a patriot who dedicated his life to the cause of Islam and to help the poor and the needy. “His last wish was that he wanted to visit Pakistan,” he said.

He said that to prevent Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif to participate in the funeral of their father was a human rights violation and was contradictory to religious values. He expressed his grief at a meeting held at the party’s provincial secretariat in Garden Town on Saturday.

“To deprive the sons from shouldering the body of their father will prove that Pakistan is being ruled by a ruthless dictator,” Mr Khosa said. He said Mian Sharif used to help the poor and needy without any propaganda.

It was decided that a three-day Quran khawani would be held throughout Punjab. A resolution was passed demanding the government allow the Sharif family to participate in the funeral.

Syed Zaeem Hussain Qadri, the secretary information for the PML-N, expressed grief the leader’s demise. He said that Pakistan had lost a patriotic citizen and a kind-hearted man.

Till late on Friday night, PML-N politicians and workers and scores of people gathered at Mian Meraj Din’s residence. Former Pakistani President Rafique Tarar was also present.

Mian Sharif was a person who dedicated his life to help the country, said Mian Muhammad Azhar, the former president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam group.

Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the ameer of Jammat-e-Islami (JI), said that the death was a national loss and asked the government to allow the Sharif family to attend the funeral. Qazi condoled with Hamza Shahbaz, the son of Shahbaz Sharif, through a phone call to Jeddah. He also instructed Abdul Ghuffar Aziz, the caretaker of external affairs in Saudi Arabia for JI, to attend the funeral in Jeddah.

“If Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif are not allowed to attend the funeral then that would be an example of state terrorism,” said Sajid Mir, the vice president of Markazi Ahl-e-Hadith. He said, “If General Musharraf has moral values, he would allow the Sharif brothers to attend their father’s funeral.” Mr Mir said that one day all rulers have to die and they should not forget that.

The country has been deprived of a progressive industrialist and a patriot, said MNA Muhammad Pervaiz Malik, a PML-N leader.

Mr Pervaiz said that Mian Sharif was a honourable man and it was because of his guidance that his sons were able to achieve the pinnacle in national politics. He said the government should facilitate the burial and the Sharif family should be allowed to attend the funeral.

The former ameers of JI, Mian Tufail Muhammad Chaudrhy Rehmat Ali, Chaudrhy Muhammad Aslam Saleemi, Laiqat Baloch, Hafiz Muhammad Idrees with Syed Munawar Hasan, the secretary general of JI, Farid Ahmed, the deputy secretary general of JI, Malik Muhammad Ashraf and Mian Maqsood Ahmed have expressed grief at the demise of Mian Sharif in a joint statement.

Chaudrhy Asghar Ali Gujjar, the parliamentary leader for the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Punjab also expressed grief and prayed for Mian Sharif.

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