Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain, 50, was found unconscious in his room on June 9th, 2022. He was quickly rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His death sent stunned the nation.
Love him or hate him, Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain was a constant feature in the lives of Pakistanis ever since he made his TV debut at the start of the millennium. From reading the news, to hosting TV shows, he stayed in the limelight throughout his career which was cut short last week, at the age of 50.
His journey, started as a columnist, but he dabbled in every field imaginable and excelled in his ventures. He gained fame due to ‘Aalim Online’, he remained in the limelight for various reasons, before becoming the news with his final exit.
A household name with Aalim Online!
Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain began his career as a columnist for ‘Daily Parcham’ in the 1990s and his column ‘Post Mortem’ was very popular. It was because of his critique of the PPP Government in the mid-90s, that he had to escape to England to evade arrest. In the UK, he met Altaf Hussain, the founder of MQM. It was during his stay in London that he got close to the MQM head, and when he decided to enter politics, MQM was his first choice.
Before entering politics, Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain, made a name for himself as a popular orator who won many trophies during his college days. He also dabbled in radio, before, ‘Aalim Online’, a popular religious programme aired in 2001.
Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain became a household name since the audience loved the way he conducted the religious programme. The show became his ‘brand’. He kept that in mind, and expanded his hosting abilities for religious gatherings for live television. His concluding ‘dua’ became a feature not many wanted to miss.
He then came up with a unique idea of introducing ‘Ramzan Transmission’ on a local news channel. Years down the road, the format of his show is exactly what is being aired today on every channel. He deserved to be credited as ‘The Father of Modern Ramzan Transmission’. He may have jumped between channelsbut the format remained the same, which was loved by his countless followers across the world.
A politician
Despite being younger than most of his contemporaries, Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain used his closeness to Altaf Hussain, to enter into politics in 2002. He was quite popular because of his celebrity status, amongst the youth of the country. He was first elected as a member of the National Assembly on MQM’s ticket and served as the State Minister for Religious Affairs during Former President General Musharraf’s tenure. He was, however, asked to resign from his ministry and the party’s membership, due to a controversy.
The ouster from MQM might have brought an end to his first innings as a politician, but a decade later, he was back in active politics, this time as a member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf. He defeated his old colleague, Farooq Sattar to be elected as an MNA in the 2018 General Elections. He and was amongst the few, who highlighted the plight of Karachi in the National Assembly. He used his social media to highlight issues, whenever he felt that his own party was neglecting the city.
When Prime Minister Imran Khan faced a no-confidence motion from the opposition, Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain deserted his party, He, however, remained an MNA till his death. He was not part of any party when he passed away, be it the ruling PML-N or PTI.
A colorful but unlucky personal life!
Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain was one of the first influencers who cashed their popularity to become part of pop culture. Ever since the incident where he literally pushed a Mango into an audience member’s mouth, people could not look at the fruit the same way. The phrase ‘Kaash Aap Mere Walid Hotay’ became popular because it was coined during his show when one of the contestants expressed his love for the host. Not only that, actor Fahim Khan played Aashiq Rafaqat Hussain, a fictional version of Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain, in Fahad Mustafa, Mehwish Hayat starrer ‘Load Wedding’ where the second half revolved around the game show he hosted.
On the personal front, however, he was not that successful since he married thrice, and got divorced. His first marriage with Bushra Iqbal lasted the longest, and they were proud parents of a daughter and a son until he divorced her in 2020. Two years prior, he married 24-year-old Tuba Anwar who was considerably younger than him. They both appeared on many talk shows to present themselves as an ideal couple. However, earlier this year, Tuba Anwar filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences.
Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain’s third and final marriage took place in February 2022 soon after his second divorce became public; the 50-year-old married Dania Shah, 18. The couple made many Tik Tok videos to show off their marital bliss, the dream became a nightmare within three months.
Dania Shah approached the court for divorce in May of ‘22 with shocking allegations against Dr Liaquat. She alleged that Dr Liaquat was addicted to a drug named ‘ice’ (commonly known as crystal meth). She further alleged that the man loved by so many was a completely different person behind closed doors. The allegations, when followed by a leaked intimate video of the couple went viral, sent Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain into depression. People close to him said that he seemed to be a different person after that incident. He announced on his social media that he was embarrassed at the way his ex-wife had portrayed him. He also announced that he would be leaving Pakistan for good, to escape embarrassment.
A philanthropist
Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain, was an avid philanthropist. He founded the Mahmooda Sultana Foundation Trust in 2007, two years after the death of his mother Mahmooda Sultana. The Trust has been helping the needy, mostly in Pakistan. The trust has been very active during the natural disasters in the country. Due to his work with the trust, as well as, his growing popularity amongst youngsters, Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain was listed three times in ‘The 500 influential Muslims’ list worldwide. He also ranked amongst the 100 popular personalities of Pakistan.
Integral part of BOL Media Group
After being part of multiple news organisations, Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain joined BOL Media Group in 2016, and started hosting the current affairs talk show ‘Aisay Nahi Chalay Ga’. His no-holds-barred style, became popular overnight in which he blasted everyone, and everything that came his way. He brought his own touch of ‘Ramzan Transmission’ to BOL in 2017, when he hosted ‘Ramazan Mein BOL’ which was followed by his game show ‘Game Show Aisay Chalay Ga’ that became a rage. He had a quick wit and had a unique way of interacting with the crowd.
After two successful years with the Bol Media Group, he ventured out, only to return in 2021. He hosted of ‘BOL House’, the Big Boss-inspired show which became very popular due to its novel idea. He will always be remembered as an important member of the BOL family, and his services will never be forgotten, since he gave his sweat and blood to the organisation, and died with his boots on.
