Daily Times

LAHORE: On Monday, the Former President of Pakistan Rafiq Tarar passed away in Lahore after a prolonged illness. He was born on Nov 2, 1929. He breathed his last today at the age of 92.

According to his family sources, Rafiq Tarar had been suffering from health issues for a long. The time and place of his funeral prayers will be announced later on, they added.

However, Rafique Tarrar served as the ninth president from January 1998 until his resignation in June 2001.

Before entering politics, Tarrar served as a senior justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan from 1991 to 1994 and as the 28th Chief Justice of Lahore High Court from 1989 to 1991.

Following his retirement from the judiciary, Tarar had joined the PML-N and soon he was named as a legal advisor to the party’s supremo Nawaz Sharif.

Later, he was nominated as a candidate for the president’s office by then prime minister Nawaz Sharif at the end of 1997.

Condolence

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain expressed deep grief over the death of former president Rafiq Tarar.

In a condolence message, he said he was saddened to hear the news of the former president of Pakistan’s demise.

He prayed for the rest of the departed soul in eternal peace and a grant of courage to the bereaved family to bear this loss with fortitude.

President Arif Alvi expressed his grievances over the demise of the 9th president of Pakistan.

“May his soul rest in peace, and may Allah grant courage to the family to bear this loss,” he wrote on Twitter.

Moreover, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed heartfelt condolences.

“May Allah blesses his soul [and] give strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss, Ameen,” he said.