STAFF REPORTER KARACHI Naeemul Haque, one of the senior-most members of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and a close aide to Prime Minister Imran Khan, passed away at the age of 70 in Karachi on Saturday. Born on July 11, 1949 in Karachi, Naeem completed his M.A. in English Literature from University of Karachi (1970) and then pursued an LLB from Sindh Muslim Law College Karachi (1971). He was under treatment at a hospital in Karachi. Haque was the former central information secretary and one of the founding members of the PTI. He was also the former president of PTI’s Sindh chapter. He was receiving treatment at PNS Shifa Hospital in the port city. A tweet by the PTI’s official Twitter account called Haque “a dedicated Pakistani, a loyal friend and a kind human being”. It said the entire PTI family is aggrieved upon his demise. Prime Minister Imran Khan had called on the deceased leader at his residence earlier this month while he was undergoing treatment. PM Imran, a close friend, said he was “devastated” by Haque’s passing. “He was one of the 10 founding members of the PTI and by far the most loyal,” the prime minister wrote. “In 23 years of PTI’s trials and tribulations, he stood by me. He was always there for support whenever we were at our lowest ebb.” “In the last two years, I saw him battle cancer with courage and optimism,” PM Imran wrote. “Till the very end, he was involved in party affairs and attended cabinet meetings as long as he was able. His passing has left an irreplaceable void.” A banker and businessman by trade and one of the co-founders of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Naeem was instrumental in promoting positive change in Pakistan as part of the party’s ideology. His funeral prayers will be offered at Masjid-e-Aisha located on Defence Housing Authority’s Khayaban-eIttehad in Karachi, PTI leader Khurrum Sher Zaman told the media. PML-N President and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif also offered condolences to the bereaved family and prayed for the departed soul. “Very sad to hear about the passing away of Naeemul-Haq. My profound condolences to the bereaved family and the PTI. May Allah rest his soul in peace!,” he said in a message on Twitter. Punjab chief minister’s spokesperson Dr Shahbaz Gill lauded Haque as a hero, saying, “Always saw him smiling during the very painful cancer treatment process”.
