Court overrules decision to conduct exhumation, autopsy of Aamir Liaquat

A Karachi court on Tuesday overturned a decision to conduct PTI MNA Aamir Liaquat Hussain's post-mortem.

District and Sessions Judge (East) Khalid Hussain Shahani overturned the decision of Judicial Magistrate (East) Wazeer Hussain Memon who had ordered Hussain's postmortem on June 18.

The ruling came in response to an appeal filed by Dua Aamir — daughter of the late televangelist and PTI MNA — challenging the court's decision to allow exhumation of the body for an autopsy.

The petition seeking the autopsy was filed by a citizen of Karachi. 

It had stated that Hussain's sudden death has raised suspicions among his fans and it is suspected that he was killed over a property dispute.

The petitioner requested the court to form a special board for the exhumation and autopsy of Hussain, saying that identifying the cause of his death was necessary.

In its order, the court had said that Liaquat’s family — the “heirs of his grave” — have maintained that conducting the anchorperson’s post-mortem would violate the sanctity of his grave.

But the court ruled that if the death is suspicious and there is a fear that a crime might have been committed, "then the law will have to take its course".

The heirs of Aamir Liaquat had objected to this and filed an appeal against the judicial magistrate's decision.

Responding to the order, Hussain's former wife Dr Bushra Iqbal had also raised several questions.

She urged fans to be vocal in opposing the autopsy as "it is a painful procedure for dead people and Islam doesn’t allow it."

Aamir Liaquat's death

The PTI dissident was found unconscious on June 9 at his house situated in Khudadad Colony of the metropolis, according to his servant Javaid.

The 50-year-old was rushed to a hospital where he could not be resuscitated and was pronounced dead.

His death came as a shock to the media industry and people vented anger at social media trolls who had hounded the TV host for his botched third marriage.

The body of the PTI lawmaker was handed over to his family for burial only after Judicial Magistrate Naukar Abbas allowed it.

While police were insisting on conducting an autopsy to ascertain the cause of death, Hussain's estranged family members, who came only for his last rites, insisted that a postmortem will delay the funeral.

The body was received by the late anchor's son and last rites were conducted by Chippa.

Hussain was laid to rest in a graveyard on the premises of the Abdullah Shah Ghazi shrine in Clifton.