Aamir Liaquat Hussain

Aamir Liaquat Hussain (5 July 1971 – 9 June 2022) was a Pakistani politician, columnist and television host.

Hussain was a top ranking TV anchor and was listed three times in The 500 influential Muslims worldwide, and was among 100 popular personalities of Pakistan.

He was criticized on media numerous times due to his controversial comments about superstars.

Hussain was born on 5 July 1971 in Karachi to politician Sheikh Liaquat Hussain and columnist Mahmooda Sultana.

In an interview, Hussain Said he received his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from Liaquat Medical College Jamshoro in 1995, and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Islamic Studies in 2002 by a now known degree mill, Trinity College and University (based in Spain but incorporated in Dover, Delaware).

Hussain's claim to have received an MBBS degree from Liaquat Medical College Jamshoro in 1995 was also falsified based on the fact that if he did have one, he would not need any fake bachelors, masters or doctorate degrees to contest the 2002 general elections.

It was also noted that one cannot study at two different faculties at a same time since Hussain claimed to have both his MBBS degree in 1995 and BA in Islamic Studies from Trinity College in 1995.

Previously, he was a member of the National Assembly from 2002 to 2007 and served as the Minister of State for Religious Affairs from 2004 to 2007 in the federal cabinet of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

He died on 9 June 2022 in his room at his residence due to suffocation, as per police his house was full of smoke due to a generator.

He has also said that he gained a degree of Master of Arts in Islamic Studies in 2002 from the Trinity College and University.

Hussain declared his BA degree to the election commission of Pakistan while filing his nomination forms for the 2002 Pakistani general elections.

It was reported that Hussain had purchased his degrees from Trinity College and University to become eligible for contesting the elections.

In 2002, it was made compulsory for contestants of elections for seats in the Provincial and National Assemblies of Pakistan to hold at least a bachelor's degree.

Hussain was elected as the Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan for the first time in the 2002 Pakistani general election on the ticket of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement from NA-249 (Karachi-XI) constituency and was appointed Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Zakat and Ushar Division in September 2004 in the Shaukat Aziz cabinet.

In 2003, The Guardian reported this university as a scam where one could buy a degree for as cheaply as £150 within 28 days.

The University of Karachi declared his BA degree as fake earlier in 2005.

As the junior minister of Religious Affairs, Hussain asked religious scholars from Pakistan to issue a 'Fatwa' regarding suicide bombings in May 2005.

In June 2005, he was attacked by enraged youths during his visit to Jamia Binoria.

Police however denied that any incident of manhandling of Hussain had taken place and said that the crowd only chanted slogans.

In 2006, the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan declared the BA degree in Islamic Studies of Hussain obtained from Trinity College and University as not recognized and fake.

Hussain was the minister of state for Religious Affairs until July 2007, when his party asked him to resign from his position as Minister, and from his seat as a member of the National Assembly.

According to an official statement, the party was unhappy with statements made by Hussain against Salman Rushdie.

In 2007, he resigned from politics.

Later in 2008, MQM also expelled him from the party.

He was the founder of the Memhooda Sultana Foundation.

He was later enrolled in Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology in 2010 from where he received his master's degree in Islamic Studies, but according to officials there, Hussain never attended a class or sat any exams.

The officials said that the admission form of Hussain was initially submitted with the photograph of another person and was later replaced with the photograph of Hussain.

It was also reported that Hussain did not himself sit the semester exams.

In 2012, it was reported that Hussain appeared as a candidate for a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Karachi from where he graduated in 2008.

From 2013 to 2015, an annual publication The 500 Most Influential Muslims by Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Jordan included Hussain in their list.

In 2015, it was reported that Hussain had acquired a fake degree from Ashwood University.

According to the Federal Investigation Agency, his profile was noted in Axact's main server.

Hussain confessed that he purchased the fake degree from Ashwood University for $1136.

In August 2016, after the attack on media houses by MQM workers and the arrest of MQM leaders, Hussain was also taken into custody by Sindh Rangers.

In February 2017, an Anti-Terrorism Court in Pakistan instructed the authorities to put the name of Hussain on the Exit Control List, after Hussain was charged with facilitation of hate speech but police failed to produce Hussain in court hearings.

He was a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from August 2018 to June 2022.

Hussain joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in March 2018.

He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a PTI candidate for constituency NA-245 (Karachi East-IV) in the 2018 Pakistani general election.

On 4 October 2021, he resigned from his National Assembly of Pakistan's seat and left Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

On 6, April 2022, Hussain tweeted “I am extremely embarrassed [for betraying] MQM leader Altaf Hussain.