Jang-Geo Group founder Mir Khalil’s wife passes away

KARACHI: The wife of Jang Group founder the late Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman, Mehmooda Khalil-ur-Rahman, died here on Friday at the age of 95.

Mrs Rahman was the mother of Jang-Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and grandmother of Geo Television Network CEO Mir Ibrahim Rahman.

Her funeral prayers were offered after Jumma prayer at the Rahmania mosque on Tariq Road. She was buried at the Society Graveyard. The funeral prayers were led by Mufti Irshad Hussain Saidi.

Apart from her relatives, senior journalists, media persons, politicians, and people from all walks of life, including those belonging to social and literary world, attended the funeral.

The family of the deceased has also requested prayers from home due to the coronavirus standard operating procedures. Mrs Rahman is survived by a son and four daughters, 24 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

She stood by her husband through thick and thin and helped him establish one of the biggest media houses in the country.

Condolences started pouring in from politicians, social workers, journalists and prominent people across the country, expressing grief over the death of Mrs Rahman.

“My prayers and condolences go to the Mir family on the passing of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s mother and Mir Ibrahim’s grandmother,” Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote on Twitter.

President Arif Alvi, Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chauhdry, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar, Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, Deputy Chairman Senate Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Leader of the House in the Senate Senator Dr Shehzad Waseem, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Senator Yusuf Raza Gilani, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and other politicians also offered their condolences on Twitter.

President Arif Alvi said Mrs Rahman had a special place in her heart for him and his family. He said Mrs Rahman was very down to earth and had a big heart.

Fawad Chaudhry said Mrs Rahman played a big role in the formation of Jang Group and helped it take it to new heights. Expressing grief over the death of Mrs Rahman, Shaikh Rasheed said his sympathies and prayers are with the family.

President Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condoled the death of Mehmooda Khalil-ur-Rahman.

In a condolence message, they expressed deep grief and sorrow over the death of Mehmooda Khalil-ur-Rahman and prayed to Almighty Allah to grant eternal peace to the departed soul and strength and fortitude to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss with equanimity.

Pakistan People’s Party Senator Sherry Rehman and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif and Marriyum Aurangzeb, former prime minister of Azad Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib too expressed grief over Mrs Rahman’s death and prayed to Allah Almighty to grant her forgiveness and patience to her family.

Haider in a statement said Mrs and Mr Rahman played an important role in strengthening democracy in the country. Sindh Minister for Information Saeed Ghani also offered condolences over the death and prayed for her eternal peace.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member Sindh Assembly Shehzad Qureshi expressed sorrow over the death of Mrs Rahman. The APNS expressed profound grief over the death of Begum Mehmooda Khalil-ur-Rahman and prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace.

The Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) expressed grief over the death of Mehmooda Khalil-ur-Rahman. In a statement, the CPNE office-bearers and members prayed for blessings to the departed soul in the hereafter. All Pakistan Akhbar Farosh Union Secretary General Tikka Khan also condoled the death of Begum Mehmooda Khalil-ur-Rahman. In a statement, he said all the hawkers and workers of the newspaper industry shared the grief with the bereaved family and prayed for the departed soul.