Former Emir of the Jamaat Islami Munawar Hasan passed away on Friday after a long illness. He was aged 78. The former Jamaat Islami chief was under treatment at a private hospital and was placed on a ventilator for the past few days after his health deteriorated. Jamaat Islami coordinator and MPA Abdur Rasheed confirmed his passing away and said further information about the funeral and burial will be announced soon. The incumbent Emir Senator Siraj-ul-Haq, Deputy Emir Liaquat Baloch and other party leaders had recently visited the hospital and inquired about his health. Munawar Hasan was the first fourth Emir of the Jamaat Islami before he was succeeded by Siraj-ul-Haq. Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif offered his condolences to the deceased’s family and to party workers. Grieved to learn about the passing away of former Amir of Jamat-i-Islami Syed Munawar Hassan. His services to Pakistan and commitment to Islam were unwavering. May Allah rest his soul in peace! My deepest condolences to the bereaved family & the JI workers. — Shehbaz Sharif (Stay at home to stay safe) (@CMShehbaz) June 26, 2020 Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also offered his condolences. “I spent a lot of time with Syed Munawar Hasan. He was a man with a happy disposition. He made valuable contributions to politics,” he said. Munawar was born in Delhi in August 1941, a fortnight before Abul A’ala Maududi launched the JI. In the late 1950s, after aligning himself with the National Students Federation, he crossed over to Islami Jamiat-i-Talaba.