Lawmaker and television personality Aamir Liaquat Hussain was laid to rest in Karachi on Friday, following the end of an hours-long impasse between police and the deceased's family over the matter of an autopsy.

His funeral prayers were offered at a mosque adjacent to the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi, with his son — Ahmed Aamir — leading the congregation. A large number of people were in attendance, including noted politicians.

Hussain was laid to rest on the premises of the shrine, next to his parents.

Earlier today, a Karachi police spokesperson said in a statement that the body had been handed over to his family after a preliminary examination and submission of a report by the police surgeon.

The development had come after an impasse between police and Hussain's family on the matter of the MNA's autopsy following his death on Thursday. While police sought to conduct the body's autopsy, which was necessary to ascertain the cause of his death, his family had refused to have a post-morterm examination.

Subsequently, the matter was referred to a judicial magistrate in Karachi.

According to a police statement, the judicial magistrate visited the Chhipa morgue, where Hussain's body was kept, after his family appeared before the court and allowed for the body to be handed over to the heirs.

Speaking to the media, Ramzan Chippa, who heads the Chhipa Welfare Association, also confirmed the development, saying that Hussain's funeral would be held after Asr prayers and he would be buried at the graveyard at Abdullah Shah Ghazi's shrine.

Family appears before court

Earlier today, Hussain's family had appeared before a judicial magistrate at the City Court in Karachi.

According to a statement issued by a Karachi police spokesperson at the time, the matter was referred to the court under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The Section empowers a magistrate to order an inquest (an investigation, especially in cases of death).

After the family appeared before the magistrate, their lawyer, Advocate Khursheed Khan, said the police surgeon had told the court he had not "examined it (Hussain's body) externally".

The police surgeon "will now go and examine it", he told Dawn.com.

Family refuses autopsy

On Thursday, Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed had told Dawn Hussain's body was brought to the Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre’s emergency ward around 3pm that day, and he was declared dead on arrival. While the body was shifted to the mortuary for completion of medico-legal formalities, the family refused to have an autopsy conducted, she said.

Aamir's former wife, Bushra Iqbal, with whom he had two children, had also confirmed that his "heirs, Ahmad Aamir and Dua Aamir, had refused his post-mortem.

"According to their wishes, the deceased will be taken to his last place of rest with respect," she had said in a post on Instagram.

Iqbal had added that Hussain would be buried at the graveyard at Abdullah Shah Ghazi's shrine and his funeral prayers was to be held at 2pm today.

The funeral, however, had not been held at the said time as his body remained at the morgue amid an impasse between police and his family over the autopsy.

Police's note to morgue in-charge

Meanwhile, police had asked the in-charge of the Chhipa morgue not to hand over the body of deceased lawmaker Aamir Liaquat Hussain to "anyone" but the staff of Brigade police station and warned of "legal action" otherwise.

In a note that bears the stamp of Brigade police and addressed to the in-charge of Chhipa morgue, police said Hussain's body was to be handed over only to police personnel.

The handwritten note dated June 9, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, stated that "a body named Aamir Liaquat Hussain, son of Liaquat Hussain, has been kept in your morgue as an amanat. So staff from Brigade police station will take the body. The body is not to be handed over to anyone else, or else legal action will be taken".

Aamir Liaquat's death

Hussain, 50, passed away at his house in Karachi's Khudadad Colony on Thursday.

Police had told Dawn that according to his domestic staff, he was not feeling well on Wednesday night, but did not go for a medical checkup. His health deteriorated in the morning, when he was taken to the Aga Khan Univ­er­sity Hospital, where he was pronounced as dead.

Police said Hussain’s residence had been sealed for further investigation after a crime scene unit examined the house and collected evidence.

Separately Karachi East Zone DIG Muquddus Haider had told Dawn that there appeared to be no injury marks on his body.