Staff Report

KARACHI: Veteran Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader Professor Ghafoor Ahmed passed away after a protracted illness on Wednesday, CNBC Pakistan reports. He was 85.

He was hospitalized for the last one week. Prof. Ghafoor was the Naib Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Prof Ghafoor's funeral will be offered at 4pm on Thursday, a JI spokesman said.

Born on 26 June 1927 in Barely, British India, Prof. Ghafoor earned Masters Degree in Commerce from Lucknow University in 1948 and later completed a course in Industrial Accounts and thus won the fellowship, of Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan.

He became the member of Jamaat-e-Islami in 1950 and held key positions.

He served as General Secretary of two political alliances of UDA (United Democratic Alliance) and PNA (Pakistan National Alliance) respectively.

He was member of the negotiating team, of the opposition which took part in decisive negotiations with Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, then Prime Minister of Pakistan. CNBC Pakistan