Deadlock over Aamir Liaquat's funeral continues

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 03 Jan 2023

• Police decides to stop burial of TV host and politician Aamir Liaquat.
• He passed away a day earlier under mysterious circumstances in Karachi.
• Police says burial won't be allowed without postmortem examination of PTI leader.

KARACHI: Famous TV personality and PTI MNA Aamir Liaquat Hussain's funeral and burial has been surrounded by complications since this (Friday) morning after the police stopped it for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of his death.

Liaquat's family, however, is not on board. His ex-wife Bushra Iqbal, who had announced that his funeral would be at 2pm today after Friday prayers, and children have gone to court. The police advised the family to approach the court if they wanted a burial without an autopsy.

Iqbal, meanwhile, tweeted that due to "undue circumstances", Liaquat's funeral prayers haven been delayed.

Hussain's children Ahmed Aamir and Dua-e-Aamir had refused to allow his autopsy, his former wife Syeda Bushra Iqbal had announced earlier.

The 50-year-old televangelist passed away on Thursday. The news of his untimely death sent shock waves across the country.

SSP East Abdul Rahim Sherazi told Geo News the burial will not be allowed without a postmortem examination of the PTI leader. He maintained that they were constantly trying to contact Liaquat's family but his ex-wife Bushra Iqbal and both of his children had switched off their mobile phones.

“Burial without postmortem can be allowed only under a court order,” said the SSP.

Taking to Instagram, Bushra had announced that Hussain will be laid to rest at the Abdullah Shah Ghazi graveyard after his funeral prayers at 2pm today after Friday prayers.

She said that the deceased would be taken to his final resting place with respect and honour, clarifying that her children Ahmed Aamir and Dua-e-Aamir had refused to allow the autopsy of their father.

Hussain had revealed in one of his recent video statements that he has booked a grave in the graveyard of Abdullah Shah Ghazi's shrine. His parents, politician Sheikh Liaquat Hussain and columnist Mahmooda Sultana, are also buried at the same spot and he will be laid to rest beside them.

Aamir Liaquat's house sealed for investigation

Hussain's house was sealed by the police as they launched investigations into the motives behind his sudden death. Soon after his death, the police said that his family refused to allow the doctors to carry out an autopsy and had asked for some time to make a decision regarding that.

A day earlier, the PTI leader was found unconscious at his home in Karachi's Khudad Colony and shifted to a private hospital in critical condition.

Hussain reportedly felt chest discomfort last night but refused to go to the hospital. His employee, Javed, said a scream was heard from Hussain's room today morning.

His domestic staff broke down his room's door when they did not receive any reply from him. Later, the doctors said that Hussain was dead when he was brought to the hospital.