Transitions: Politicians react to Mehdi Hassan’s death

MQM chief Altaf Hussain said that Mehdi Hassan was the ‘most towering personality in the field of ghazal singing.

KARACHI:

Altaf Hussain, the chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, expressed his deep grief on Hassan’s death and said that the void created by his departure would never be filled. The MQM chief said Pakistan had lost a great asset.

In a statement issued by the MQM, Hussain said that Mehdi Hassan was the ‘most towering personality in the field of ghazal singing’ who strengthened ‘brotherly relations between the people of Pakistan and India with his unmatched singing.’ Hussain expressed his condolences to Hassan’s family and admirers. Former president Pervez Musharraf and his party, the All Pakistan Muslim League, have also condoled the death of Mehdi Hassan.

Messages of sorrow and condolences also came in from Commissioner Karachi Roshan Ali Sheikh and the management of the Pakistan American Cultural Centre, who said that Hassan’s death was a great loss to the Pakistani music industry.

The head of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and spiritual leader of the Hurs, Pir Sahib Pagara Sibghatullah Rashdi, and the Sindh head of the PML-F Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashdi and other leaders of the PML-F have expressed their sorrow at Mehdi Hassan’s death. The chairperson of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Imran Khan as well as the party’s deputy secretary-general Imran Ismail and Sindh head Nadir Khan Leghari condoled the death of Mehdi Hassan. They said that a chapter in music had been closed by Hassan’s death.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 14^th, 2012.