Former president Rafiq Tarar passes away

• Rafiq Tarar had been suffering from health issues since long.
• PML-N leader Attaullah Tarar confirms his grandfather Muhammad Rafiq Tarar passed away.
• Arif Alvi, PM Imran Khan offer condolences.

ISLAMABAD: Former President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar passed away on Monday, confirmed his family members. 

Rafiq Tarar had been suffering from health issues since long, the family sources said, adding that the time and place of his funeral prayers will be announced later today.

Taking to Twitter, his grandson and PML-N leader Attaullah Tarar said,” My grandfather Muhammad Rafiq Tarar passed away.”

Condolences

Following the news of Tarar's demise, 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.

Prime Minister Imran Khan also took his Instagram handle and offered his condolences.

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.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar also offered his condolences.

Profile

Born on November 2, 1929, Muhammad Rafiq Tarar breathed his last today at the age of 92. He served the country as the head of state from January 1998 to June 2001.

Earlier, he served as a judge at the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

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.