Pakistan's Ex-President: Ghulam Ishaq Khan passes away         
'Pakistan Times' Special Report

PESHAWAR: Former Pakistani President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, 91, dies following bout of pneumonia here on Friday morning.

The former Pakistan president, who won power following the 1988 death of Gen. Zia-ul Haq had been ill for the past three months.

Throughout his life he served the country on important positions. He worked as cabinet secretary, federal minister, finance minister and chairman senate.

The Namaz e Janaza of former President of Pakistan, Ghulam Ishaq Khan will be offered here today (Friday) at Ladies Club University Town at 5 p.m.

Khan's son-in-law, Arfanullah Murwat told a private television channel that the former Pakistan had been ill for the past three months.

``He was suffering from pneumonia, and it was the cause of his death,'' Murwat said. Khan died at his residence in University Town at 1000 am.

Political personalities, relatives and masses have started gathering at his residence for condolence after hearing the news of his demise.

Cursory glance at Khan’s life

Ghulam Ishaq Khan was born on January 20, 1915, in Ismail Khel Bannu District, N. W. F. P. He did his graduation in Chemistry and Botany and joined NWFP Civil Service in 1940.

After the unification of West Pakistan into One Unit in 1955, Ishaq Khan was appointed Provincial Secretary of West Pakistan for Irrigation Development. In this capacity he represented the Provincial Government in the Federal Planning Commission. In 1958, he became Member WAPDA In 1966, he was appointed Federal Finance Secretary and promoted to Secretary General Defense during Bhutto's tenure.

General Zia appointed him Advisor on Finance and later on as Federal Finance Minister. Ishaq Khan represented his country in various international conferences, which include U. N. Conferences on Finance, IMF, OIC and Asian Development Bank.

In February 1985, Ishaq Khan was elected as Chairman of the Senate. After the death of General Zia, Ishaq Khan took over as acting President of the country on August 17, 1988. He was elected President on December 13, 1988, as the consensus candidate of PPP and IJI.

During his tenure, Ishaq Khan dismissed the Governments of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif using discretionary powers given to the President under the controversial Eighth Constitutional Amendment.

Khan reportedly vetoed the appointment of former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Chief Hamid Gul as Army Chief, appointing the moderately reformist general Asif Nawaz Khan Janjua instead. Khan's presidency also saw the resignation of General Rahimuddin Khan from the post of Governor of Sindh, due to differences between the two after Khan started restricting Rahimuddin's vast amount of legislative power.

Khan's presidency was also marked by his use of Eighth Amendment reserve powers to check the government. While the Prime Minister is the Head of Government, Khan was able to dismiss the governments of both Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif on charges of corruption, mismanagement, and nepotism, thereby triggering new elections, which the incumbent parties lost.

The second dismissal of government exacerbated institutional and political opposition to Khan, leading to his resignation in 1993, and later to a constitutional amendment that reduced the Presidency to a figurehead.

Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences was set by him and it is located in Topi, North-West Frontier Province.

President, PM condole former president GIK demise

President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz have expressed their heartfelt grief on the sad demise of the former president, Ghulam Ishaque Khan (GIK).

President Musharraf in his condolence message said that Ghulam Ishaque Khan had served the country for a long period. He was an honest man, who had dedicated his services for the country, he said.

President Musharraf prayed, “May God give him a place in the heaven and grant the grieved family fortitude and forbearance to bear this irreparable loss.”

Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz in his message said that that Ghulam Ishaque Khan’s extensive services to the country would long be remembered. He prayed for the departed soul of the deceased.

Senate Chairman, Mohammadmian Soomro, Deputy Chairman, Jan Mohammad Jamali and leader of the house in Senate, Wasim Sajjad also grieved over the death of the former president Ghulam Ishaque Khan.

Laid to rest

Former President, Ghulam Ishaq Khan who passed away here Friday was laid to rest in the University Town graveyard. His namaz-e-Jinnaza (funeral prayers) was offered by Qazi Ghulam Muhammad, Khateeb University Town mosque.

The Nimaz-e-Jinaza of late Ghulam Ishaq Khan was attended by Governor NWFP Lt Gen (Retd) Ali Muhammad Jan Aurkazai, formerPM and PML President Ch Shujaat Hussain, Chief Minister Sindh Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim,Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Muhammad Ijazul Haq, Federal Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination Salim Saifullah Khan, Federal Minister for Intorier Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Federal Minister for Political Affairs Eng Amir Muqam, Federal Minister for SAFRON Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind, Former Governor NWFP and Advisor to PM Khalilur Rehman, General (Retd) Mirza Aslam Baig, Senator Samiul Haq, Federal Minister for CultureGG Jamal, Senator Ilayas Bilour, former President of Pakistan Farooq Ahmed Khan Laghari, Senator Ilyas Bilour and Corps Commander Peshawar Lt Gen Hamid Khan, besides a number of Provincial Ministers, legislatures, diplomats, lawmakers, academicians, media persons and thousands of people from cross section of the society.

They later condoled with the son in law of Ghulam Ishaq Khan former Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Anwar Saifullah Khan.●