Remembering the ones we lost

List of notable personalities who passed away in 2020

KARACHI:

The year 2020 will for times to come be remembered as a year of loss and mourning. As the year draws to a close, we remember some of Pakistan's notable personalities who we lost this year forever.

Their loss - for various reasons - added to the despair of the friends and families they left behind as the outbreak of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic upended, among several other things, our traditional ways of mourning the demise of a loved one.

Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim

Former chief election commissioner Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim passed away on January 7 in Karachi after a prolonged illness. He was 91.

He was also the ombudsperson for The Express Tribune and was laid to rest in Mewa Shah graveyard of the port city.

Ebrahim's pristine career as a judge of the superior judiciary, a lawyer and statesman appeared to be enough for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to agree on appointing him as the chief election commissioner before the 2013 general elections, despite him being a nominee of the then opposition.

The establishment of the Citizens Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) in 1989 was one of his most celebrated achievements.

 

Mohammad Munaf

PHOTO: PCB

Pakistan’s former right-arm test pacer Mohammad Munaf passed away on January 28 in Amsterdam where he was residing after his retirement from the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). He was 84 years old.

His made his test debut on November 21, 1959 against Australia, whereas he played the last test match against England on January 19, 1962.

Having played 71 first-class matches, Munaf bagged a total of 180 wickets with an average of 24 runs.

 

Malik Ata Muhammad Khan

Malik Ata Muhammad Khan. PHOTO: Twitter/M S Rao 20

Popularly known as the Prince of Kot Fateh Khan, Malik Ata Muhammad Khan passed away on February 6 at the age of 79.

A feudal lord, politician and vice-president of the International Tent Pegging Federation, Khan was also well known for his efforts to promote bull racing in the country.

He was also a member of the Punjab Assembly from 1990 to 1993. After his father’s demise in 1996, Khan left politics to assume family responsibilities.

He was also a subject of a BBC documentary titled 'One Man and his Horse' in 1983. He also appeared in Shoaib Mansoor’s popular TV serial 'Alpha Bravo Charlie' and feature film 'Verna'.

 

Naeemul Haque

 

One of the 10 founding members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and a close friend of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Naeemul Haque passed away in Karachi, at the age of 70, on February 15 after battling cancer for about two years.

Haque, having spent over three decades in politics, was the special assistant to the prime minister on political affairs and a member of the PTI’s core committee.

He had also served as the party’s central information secretary and president of its Sindh chapter.

Haque is survived by a son and two daughters.

 

Usmanullah Khan

 

Boxing legend and Olympian Usmanullah Khan breathed his last in Canada on February 20, after losing a two-year battle with brain tumour. He was 45 years old.

He had qualified and represented the country in Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and Sydney Olympics in 2000. He also won a silver medal in 1994 Asian Games light-welterweight event, toured 29 countries and won 19 international medals.

The tumour forced the boxing legend onto the bed for two years.

Despite his achievements and the name he made for Pakistan, the appeals made by his family to the government of Pakistan, the Pakistan Sports Board and the Pakistan Boxing Federation for help all went in vain as their calls were conveniently ignored.

In early February, one of his former students Peter Pollock came to visit him and, upon seeing his condition and learning that the government has not extended any assistance, decided to shift Usmanullah to Canada for treatment.

 

Naimatullah Khan

 

 

Former Karachi mayor Naimatullah Khan passed away on February 25 after a prolonged illness. He was 89 at the time of his passing.

Khan was the mayor of Pakistan's largest city from August 2001 to June 2005.

A long-standing member of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Khan was also the chairperson of an NGO - the Alkhidmat Foundation.

Khan resigned from his post of mayor in June 2005 and was not re-elected in the next local body elections.

 

Amanullah Khan

 

On March 6, actor and comedian Amanullah Khan passed away at the age of 70 in Lahore.

Also known as the king of comedy, Amanullah was reportedly suffering from a number of illnesses, including kidney and liver failure which were reported as the cause of his death.

He had also suffered a cardiac arrest last year and remained admitted to the intensive care unit in January owing to severe pneumonia.

A renowned name in the entertainment industry, Amanullah worked tirelessly for decades to bring his personal brand of wholesome comedy to television.

He was a part of a number of successful shows, both on television and on stage, including the wildly popular Mazaaq Raat and Khabarnaak.

Some of his most popular stage performances include Begum Dish Antenna, Disco Deewane and Shartiya Mithe.

His contributions to the industry were rewarded with a Pride of Performance Award by the Government of Pakistan, and he is also credited with holding the record of performing in 860 theatre plays through his long career.

Amanullah had also performed outside Pakistan, notably at the Great Indian Laughter Challenge, and was a tutor to a number of art students who credit their acting chops to him.

 

Dr Mubashir Hasan

 

Former finance minister and co-founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Dr Mubashir Hassan passed away on March 14, 2020, at the age of 98.

He breathed his last at his Gulberg residence in Lahore, the very same house where the PPP was formally founded on December 1, 1967.

Although he was widely viewed as Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s deputy, he did not always see eye to eye with the senior Bhutto on several matters.

According to a piece written for this publication, after the Bhutto government was overthrown by General Zia-ul-Haq in 1977, Hasan was jailed where he spent the next seven years. He tried to advise Benazir when she returned to the country, but felt that his counsel was not being given due credence.

He was also quoted by the writer as saying: “Bhutto’s PPP was a socialist and an anti-imperialist party. Today, it is neither of the two; it has become like all the other parties — a pro-capitalism party. Benazir Bhutto and Bilawal Bhutto have turned the party upside down. Earlier, ideology was important. Now personalities have gained more significance than ideology. Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan and the Islamic parties all have a capitalist agenda.”

 

Sabiha Khanum

 

Veteran actor Sabiha Khanum passed away on the night of June 13, 2020, at the age of 84, according to an announcement made by her granddaughter on social media.

Sabiha Khanum was known as the First Lady of Pakistan's silver screen, with some of her best films being Ayaz (1960), Saath Laakh (1957), Kaneez (1965), Anjuman (1970) and Tehzeeb (1971).

She was also conferred with the Pride of Performance in 1986 for her contribution to Pakistan's film industry.

 

Tariq Aziz

 

The legendary TV host Tariq Aziz breathed his last on June 17 at the age of 84.

His quiz show Neelam Ghar was first aired in 1974, it later came to be known as the Tariq Aziz Show and was then renamed the Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz. Aziz was also a politician and became a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan between 1997 and 1999.

He received his early education in Jalandhar, India before starting his career at Radio Pakistan, Lahore. When the country's first television broadcast was made in November 1964, Aziz became the first male PTV broadcaster.

He starred in film Insaniyat (1967) with renowned actors Waheed Murad and Zeba, following which he also played the leading role in film Haar Gaya Insaan.

Aziz has appeared on several local television programmes and morning shows, along with organising telethons for charity purposes.

The late actor also received a Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 1992 for his services to the nation.

 

Mufti Muhammad Naeem

 

Prominent religious scholar and Jamia Binoria International chancellor Mufti Muhammad Naeem passed away on June 20 due to a cardiac arrest in Karachi. He was 62.

The prominent cleric was being taken to the hospital when he succumbed to the heart ailment, Maulana Ghulam Rasool, administrator of Jamia Binoria, said.

Mufti Naeem was also a member of the executive committee of Wafaqul Madaris alArabia (WMA) – the largest grouping of seminaries in the country.

He is survived by his wife, three sons and two daughters.

Born in 1958, Naeem was the founder, and the chancellor of the International Binoria Islamic University Karachi, which enrols over 5,000 students, including hundreds from abroad.

Well-known for his moderate views about religion, Naeem espoused induction of modern subjects into typical religious education. Binoria University was one of the initial madrassahs or religious seminaries, which introduced Computer Science, English, and other modern subjects along with religious education.

 

Allama Talib Jauhari

 

Renowned religious scholar Allama Talib Jauhari passed away in Karachi late on June 22 at the age of 80.

The well-known scholar had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital and was on a ventilator. He was suffering from a heart condition.

Known for his powerful oratory, Allama Jauhari was not only a religious scholar but also a poet, historian and philosopher. He also authored many books.

Allama Jauhari was born in Patna, British India, on August 27, 1938. His father Maulana Muhammad Mustafa Jauhar was a prominent scholar and an Urdu poet known for his exceptional poetry, according to media reports.

Allama Jauhari studied Islamic theology in Najaf, Iraq, under Ayatullah al Uzma Sayyid Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei and late Ayatullah Sayyid Baqir Al Sadr. He was also awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz by the government of Pakistan.

 

Syed Munawar Hassan

 

Former Jamaat-e- Islami (JI) amir [presdient] Syed Munawar Hassan passed away on June 26 at the age of 79.

According to party leaders, he was suffering from chest pain and was admitted to a hospital two weeks prior to his demise.

Hassan was born in Delhi in August 1941. Soon after partition, his family migrated to Pakistan.

The former JI amir received his early education from Jacob Line. He went on to do his Masters in Sociology and Islamic Studies from the University of Karachi in 1963 and 1966 with distinction.

He began his political career at the National Students Federation and became the president of the federation in 1959. Following his presidency, he joined Jamaat-e-Islami.

He was selected as the JI amir of Karachi in 1991 and deputy secretary in 1992. He served as the JI amir from 2009 to 2014.

He is survived by a son and a daughter.

 

Mir Hasil Bizenjo

 

National Party chief Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo passed away on August 20 at the age of 62.

The veteran politician belonging to Balochistan was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Karachi.

According to reports, he was suffering from lungs cancer.

He was buried in his family cemetery next to his father, Mir Ghous Baksh Bizenjo in a native village, Naal in Khuzdar district.

Bizenjo had served as Minister for Maritime Affairs during the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) last tenure (2013 to 2018) in the federal government.

The seasoned politician had also remained a member of the National Assembly.

 

Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth

 

Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth died due to Covid-19 related complications on November 12 after battling the disease for 15 days. He was 59 years old.

Born to a respectable business family of Dera Ismail Khan on March 16, 1961, Justice Seth had been serving as the chief justice of the PHC since June 28, 2018.

Justice Seth was known for his bold judgments. He had set aside the conviction of dozens of citizens who were tried in military courts. He also survived assassination attempts.

The top judge presided over the special court that heard the high treason case against former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, and was one of the two judges on a three-judge panel who convicted Musharraf for the crime and sentenced him to death.

This was the first time in Pakistan's history that a military dictator was convicted for high treason.

 

Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi

 

Chief of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi passed away in a Lahore hospital on November 19. He was 54 at the time of his passing.

Family sources said that Allama Rizvi had been suffering from fever for a few days prior to his death. Due to high fever and shortness of breath, he was shifted to Sheikh Zayed Hospital where he suffered a fatal heart attack.

Allama Rizvi made his last public appearance at a sit-in staged by thousands of TLP followers at Rawalpindi’s Faizabad Interchange to protest against the publication of blasphemous caricatures in France.

The sit-in ended in the wee hours of November 19 after successful talks between the TLP and a government team.

Rizvi was born on June 22, 1966, in Nikka Toot area of Attock district. He got his religious education from madrassas in Jhelum and Dina, and later graduated in Dars-e-Nizami from Jamia Nizamia, Lahore.

He is survived by a widow, two sons and four daughters.

 

Jadam Mangrio

 

Former state minister for railways and senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) Jadam Mangrio passed away in Karachi on November 25, several days after contracting Covid-19. He was 63.

The former railways minister was placed on a ventilator at a private hospital in Karachi, due to complications caused by the virus.

He had tested positive a few days before his death. His body was taken to his home district Umerkot, where his last rites were performed.

During General (retd) Pervez Musharraf's tenure, Mangrio served as an adviser on fisheries in the cabinet of former chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim. He also served as the Minister for Railways in 2009 and was considered a close aide of Pir Pagara.

 

Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali

 

Former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali passed away at a Rawalpindi hospital on December 2 at the age of 76.

Jamali, who served as the prime minister from November 2002 to June 2004, was shifted to the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology & National Institute of Heart Diseases (AFIC-NIHD) in Rawalpindi after suffering a heart attack.

Born on January 1, 1944, Jamali served as the 15th prime minister of Pakistan from 2002 until his resignation in 2004. He was the first prime minister of the country from Balochistan.

 

 

Firdous Begum

 

Veteran actor Firdous Begum passed away at the age of 73 on December 16.

Real name Parveen, Firdous was considered one of the most classy film actors of her time. Originally from Lahore, She started her film career in Fanoos (1963) as a supporting actor introduced by Naushad, while the main leads were played by Komal and Salman Peerzada. Her earlier films included Khandaan, Malangi, Lai Laag and Aurat.

During her long-spanning career, she worked in 160 films among which around 30 were in Punjabi and three in Pushto. Her most renowned Punjabi films included Heer Ranjha, Dilan de Sauday, Malangi and Aansoo.

The former veteran reached the peak of her career after landing a lead role in 1965 film Malangi. She then became the top heroine of the local film industry. Firdous also ended up tying the knot with the hero of the film – a marriage that could not last long provided that he passed away in June of 1967. She has two sons and a daughter from another marriage.

She also won the Best Actress Award for her role in the film Heer Ranjha, Aansoo and Ziddi.

PHOTOS: FILE/EXPRESS/TWITTER/PCB/AGENCIES