KARACHI: Televangelist Aamir Liaquat, who died on Thursday, was laid to rest on Friday in the compound of Abdullah Shah Ghazi shrine after the standoff between the family and the police over the post-mortem of the body ended. Ahmed Aamir, son of the deceased, offered the funeral prayers.

Friends, family and people from other schools of thought were arriving at the Khudad Colony area for offering condolences.

Former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, PTI leaders, and religious scholars attended the funeral prayers of Aamir Liaquat.

The body was handed over to the family without conducting a post-mortem. The body was washed by Ramazan Chippa. Preparations for shrouding and burying have been started, sources said, adding that the paperwork has been completed and the body was handed over to Aamir Liaquat’s son.

Police have refused to accept the affidavit pertaining to not having the post-mortem of the body, prompting Aamir Liaquat’s first wife and children to approach the city court. However, the court was shut due to the Friday prayers.

Police have claimed that only a court order can stop the post-mortem, which according to them was a must after the actions under Section 174 (inquiry by a magistrate into the cause of death) of the Criminal Procedure Code. Aamir Liaquat’s first wife and children have reached the court of judicial magistrate east. Police officials are also present.

The judicial magistrate has directed the police surgeon to conduct the body inspection of Aamir Liaquat. “The court ordered that a report must be issued after inspecting the body. The court will decide on the post-mortem after the report,” Khurshid Khan, lawyer of the family.

“Both the children, Ahmed Aamir and Dua Aamir, of the deceased have refused to conduct the post mortem of their father,” Syeda Bushra Aamir, the first wife of Liaquat, said in an Instagram post.

Liaquat, who was popular for his hosting style in TV shows, was born in Karachi in 1972. He was married three times.

The people intending to come for condolences are requested to arrive at A 21 Khudadad Colony, Kashmir Road, Karachi.

Police refuse to hand over body to family

The body of Aamir Liaquat is at the Chippa Morgue and the police have refused to hand over it to the family of the deceased.

“The body will be received by the officials of Brigade Police Station. Legal action will be taken if it will be handed over to someone else,” it said in a letter.

‘Sad news’

Media person Uzma Alkarim, who has worked with the televangelist for a long time, said it was sad news that Aamir Liaquat was no more with us.

“I had the last conversation with him [Aamir Liaquat] when he was married for the third time. I had called him for sending congratulatory messages,” she said on the Aaj News morning show.

Uzma, who has been a senior anchor and currently serving as the head of the gender sensitivity department at Geo TV, lamented the people’s response to the TV host’s last video. She claimed that depression was not taken seriously here.

Liaquat had hosted Aalim Online, Inaam Ghar, and Amaan Ramzan while working at the Geo TV.

She described him as the most intelligent person who gave references to Quran and Bible in his shows.