Former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Munawwar Hasan passes away in Karachi at 79

Karachi - Hasan was unwell and under treatment in a hospital for the past few days

Former chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Syed Munawwar Hasan passed away in a hospital in Karachi on Friday. He was 79.
According to party leaders, he was suffering from chest pain and was admitted to the hospital two weeks ago.
He was the fourth amir (chief) of Jamaat-e-Islami. He had been active in politics since his university days in the late 1950s and early1960.
Munawwar Hasan initially joined the National Students Federation (NSF) and was elected its president in 1959.
However, in 1960 he preferred to become a member of Islami Jamiat Talaba, a student outfit supported by the Jamaat-e-Islami. This association led to his becoming a life-long member of Jamaat-e-Islami in 1967.
He was electedJamaat-e-Islami amir in 2009.
Munawwar commanded immense respect from all communities, groups and parties, said Mehnaz Rehman, a senior journalist.

• Pakistan