The President returned to Islamabad from Benazirabad last night after the Soyem of his late father.

In a statement from President House issued here, he said he wished to thank the innumerable people from all walks of life who visited his house in Benazirabad and sent messages and made telephone calls to offer condolences.

"The outpouring of sympathy and affection of the people in this hour of personal grief was a source of strength for me and the family to bear the loss with fortitude", he said.

Death comes at the appointed time and every one must one day departs from this unsubstantial world, he said.

He said the death of one's parent is a great personal loss and an indescribable pain but the thought and realization that so many people have been around to share it made the grief and pain less unbearable, the President said in his statement.

He said he was grateful to the people who traveled from as far as Gilgit, Azad Kashmir, Peshawar, FATA, Balochistan, Karachi and from the interior and remote areas of the country in this hot summer and otherwise shared his grief.

The President said it was not possible to personally acknowledge every one individually for the trouble they all took to participate in the funeral, so he was therefore publicly acknowledging their support.

The President also thanked the doctors, the paramedics and all those who looked after his father during illness.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011