Former president Muhammad Rafiq Tarar passed away in Lahore on Monday after a prolonged illness.
This was announced by Muhammad Rafiq's grandson, Ataullah Tarar in a tweet today.Muhammad Rafiq, 92, served as the 9th president of the country from January 1998 until his resignation in June 2001.
Prior to that, he had served as a senator from Punjab in 1997.
Before joining politics, Muhammad Rafiq served as a senior justice of the Supreme Court from 1991 to 1994. He also served as the 28th Chief Justice of Lahore High Court from 1989 to 1991.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif, President Arif Alvi and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa have expressed their sadness on the leader's demise on Twitter.
"My grandfather Mohammad Rafiq Tarar has passed away," Ataullah said in a tweet.
His funeral prayers was offered at Jamia Ashrafia, Lahore at 4.45pm after Asr prayers today.
Tarar had served as the president of the country for around two and a half years. He had taken the oath as the head of the state on Jan 1, 1998 and remained in the office till June 20, 2001.He was nominated for the president's office by then prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
Before stepping into politics with the PML-N, Tarar had also served as a judge of the Supreme Court from January 17, 1991 to November 1, 1994.
Prior to it, he was also the chief justice of the Lahore High Court from March 6, 1989 to October 31, 1991. Later, he had joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif remembered the deceased as a "kind and compassionate elder, shrewd legislator, fair judge and very good man". He said the news of the former president's death was a personal shock for him and his absence would always be felt.