Final goodbye: Recalling notable personalities who died in 2022

The outgoing year saw many great personalities – from politicians, actors, writers, religious scholars to TV personalities and sports legends – leaving this mortal world.

As another year comes to a close, here is a look back at all the Pakistani stars and notable personalities we lost in 2022.

Rasheed Naz

Veteran film and TV star Rasheed Naz passed away in Islamabad on January 17 at the age of 73.

Born on September 9, 1948, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rashid Naz acted in numerous dramas and movies. He started off his career in 1971 and acted in some spectacular projects including Dasht, Namos, Zama Jang, and Dakit, to name a few.

Bushra Rehman

Novelist, writer, poet, playwright and former member of the National Assembly, Bushra Rehman, died in Lahore on February 7. She was 78.

The writer was born on August 29, 1944 in Bahawalpur. She obtained her MA in Journalism from the University of Punjab. Bushra Rehman was awarded the Sitara Imtiaz for her literary services.

Rehman Malik

Former Interior Minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) stalwart Rehman Malik passed away at the age of 70 on February 23 after suffering from COVID-19.

YEAR 2022: THE YEAR PAKISTAN’S ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY WENT GLOBAL

Malik served asthe interior minister of the country during the PPP tenure from 2008 to 2013.

Dr Mehdi Hasan — veteran journalist

Professor of Mass Communication Dr Mehdi Hasan passed away after a protracted illness on February 23. He was 85.

Masood Akhtar – famed actor

Veteran actor Masood Akhtar passed away in Lahore on March 7 at the age of 82. He was suffering from lung cancer.

Masood Akhtar, a recipient of the Pride of Performance, essayed a number of characters in movies, TV plays and theatre productions.

Mehboob Mera Mastana and Night Club are among the movies in which he performed. His plays include Alif Noon, Sona Chandi, Andhera Ujala, and Rahain.

Rafiq Tarar

 

Former president of Pakistan Rafiq Tarar passed away on March 7 after a prolonged illness. He was 92.

Muhammad Rafiq Tarar served as the ninth president of Pakistan from January 1998 until his resignation in June 2001.

Before joining politics, Tarar served as a senior justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan from 1991 to 1994 and as the 28th Chief Justice of Lahore High Court (LHC) from 1989 to 1991.

Bilquis Edhi — philanthropist

Renowned social worker, who was also the wife of philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, passed away on April 15 at the age 0f 74 in Karachi.

Born in Karachi in 1947, Bilquis Edhi had supported her husband Abdul Sattar Edhi to make Edhi Foundation the biggest welfare organisation in Pakistan.

Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan – MQM-P MNA

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s member of the National Assembly Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan died in Karachi on April 19 after suffering from cardiac complications.

He continuously won the National Assembly seat from the NA-256 constituency of Shah Faisal Colony in the years 2002, 2008 and 2013.

Khan also won from NA-240, Landhi area in the 2018 general elections on MQM’s ticket.

Ali Raza Sadpara — veteran mountaineer

Renowned Pakistani mountaineer Ali Raza Sadpara passed away in Skardu on May 17, weeks after a fall from the mountain that left him critically injured.

The veteran climber had suffered serious injuries when he slipped off a cliff and fell into a ditch.

During his career that started in 1986, Ali Raza Sadpara summited the Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II and Nanga Parbat.

Masood Khawaja – popular comedian

Masood Khawaja, actor and comedian who achieved fame in the late 1980s, passed away at the age of 55 on June 20.

Masood Khawaja aka Goga was suffering from a kidney disease and had been on dialysis for six months.

Aamir Liaquat

Lawmaker and television personality Aamir Liaquat Hussain passed away at his home in Khudadad Colony on June 9. He was 50.

The lawmaker was found unconscious at his residence and shifted to a private hospital in a critical condition by his servant.  Liaquat’s condition deteriorated early morning after which the TV host was moved to a private hospital, where he was later declared dead.

Born in July 1971, Hussain was first elected as MNA in 2002 general election on the ticket of the MQM from the NA-249 constituency and was appointed as Minister of State for Religious Affairs.

Nayyara Noor

Pakistan’s legendary singer Nayyara Noor passed away in Karachi on August 21, following a brief period of illness. She was 71.

Often known as “Bulbul-e-Pakistan” (Nightingale of Pakistan), Nayyara Noor was born in November 1950 in Guwahati, Assam in India, where she spent her early childhood before her family relocated to Karachi.

Noor first started singing on Radio Pakistan in 1968, and later moved to television with her melodious voice.

With hundreds of iconic songs to her credit through her decades-long career span, Noor had received multiple top awards of the country, including Nigar Award and Pride of Performance, in addition to three gold medals.

Manzoor Hussain

The legendary Olympian and hockey legend, Manzoor Hussain Jr, passed away due to a heart attack on August 28.

He was undergoing treatment at a local hospital in Lahore due to a heart attack which he could not survive. Manzoor Hussain was part of the Pakistan hockey team that won the Bronze Medal in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.

He was also part of the Pakistani team that won World Cup in 1978 and 1982.

Hunaid Lakhani – educationist

Educationist and politician Hunaid Lakhani breathed his last on September 8 after suffering from dengue. He was 49.

He was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Karachi but was unable to recover.

Lakhani, the founder and chancellor of Iqra University, also remained engaged in public welfare through Pakistan Bait ul Maal platform and other private initiatives.

Asad Rauf — ICC umpire

 

Former International Cricket Council’s (ICC) elite panel umpire and first-class cricketer Asad Rauf died at the age of 66 after suffering a cardiac arrest in Lahore on September 15.

In his career as an umpire, Rauf officiated 64 Tests, 139 ODIs and 28 T20Is.

Arshad Sharif

One of the top investigative journalists of Pakistan, Arshad Sharif was shot dead on October 23 by the Kenyan police in a “mistaken identity” case.

He was awarded ‘Presidential Pride of Performance’ for his exceptional journalism in the year 2019.

His show ‘Powerplay’ was one of the most-watched talkshows in Pakistan and people loved the way Arshad came up with stories regarding the ruling elite’s corruption and wrongdoings with strong evidence.

Balakh Sher Mazari

Former caretaker PM, Sardar Mir Balakh Sher Mazari, died in Lahore on November 4, after a protracted illness. He was 94.

Mazari was appointed Pakistan’s caretaker premier following the dismissal of the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s government in 1993 ordered by the then-president Ghulam Ishaq Khan.

Muhammad Rafi Usmani 

On November 18, one of the top religious scholars in Pakistan and President of Jamiat Darul Uloom Karachi, Mufti Rafi Usmani, breathed his last in Karachi.

Mufti Rafi had been ill for a long time and was under intensive care.

Mufti Rafi Usmani was born on July 21, 1936, into the Usmani family of Deoband, in the Indian town of Deoband. He was named Muḥammad Rafi by Ashraf Ali Thanwi.

Rafi Usmani was the elder brother of renowned cleric Mufti Taqi Usmani. His father, Muhammad Shafi, was a Grand Mufti of Darul Uloom Deoband and one of the prominent figures of the Pakistan Movement.

Tariq Teddy

On November 19, famous Pakistani stage actor and comedian Tariq Teddy died of liver disease. He was 46. Tariq Teddy made his name in commercial theatre back in 90s.

Ismail Tara

Renowned Pakistani artist and comedian Ismail Tara died in Karachi on November 24 at the age of 73 due to kidney failure.

Ismail Tara – who was famous for his iconic role in the Pakistani drama Fifty Fifty – had worked in many stage plays, television and local films. He also hosted the talk show “Lyari King Live” on ARY Digital.