KARACHI, Pakistan
A senior Pakistani lawmaker died of cardiac arrest early on Tuesday, just weeks after recovering from COVID-19, his family confirmed to local media.
Munir Khan Orakzai, 61, elected to the National Assembly, the lower house of Pakistan’s parliament, in 2018, had contracted coronavirus in April but recovered, local broadcaster ARY News reported, quoting family members.
He was rushed to the hospital after a heart attack on Monday night but did not survive, the family said.
He was a member of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, one of the country’s mainstream religious parties, and was elected to the National Assembly from Orakzai district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Last month, Orakzai fell unconscious during a during a parliamentary session, reportedly due to low blood pressure.
President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan, and National Assembly Speaker Asad were among several officials to offer condolences over the lawmaker’s death.
Meanwhile another senior Member of Provincial Assembly Ghullam Murtaza Baloch 56, loss a life in the fight against covid 19 he was shifted to the Agha khan hospital on 14th of may due to respiratory distress, on 22nd of May his health condition worsen and shifted to Intensive care Unit and put on ventilator.
He was diabetic and a heart patient who had undergone an angiography some time ago,” said a family member.
He is survived by two wives and eight children.
Ghullam Murtaza Baloch, who hailed from Haji Faqeer Mohammad Goth in Gadap Town, twice served as town nazim during the tenure of President Pervez Musharraf and became an MPA in 2013 after defeating the Muttahida Qaumi Movement candidate in Malir by-polls.
Soon after his victory, he was appointed the provincial labour minister by the PPP government.
In the last general elections, he not only bagged the PS-188 seat but, as PPP’s Malir district president, he played a pivotal role in winning the party five Sindh Assembly and two National Assembly seats. Following the election, he was given the Katchi Abadis portfolio, which was later renamed the Human Settlements portfolio.
As news of his passing emerged, many politicians condoled his death.
“Baloch was a true jiyala who stood by the party at every difficult time,” said PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah called him brave and a hard worker, adding that his services for the party were matchless.
