Senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Member of the National Assembly, Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar, died on Saturday following a long illness, his family said.
For some weeks, he had been ailing and had a haemorrhage in his brain, which was being operated upon. His family reported that he had been in the hospital for about 20 days prior to his death.
Prayers for him will be offered at his funeral at 6 pm today in Bahawalpur.
Malik Iqbal Channar was an old guard politician and a well-known figure in PML-N. He was also a member of the Punjab Assembly and was the father of Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Assembly Malik Zaheer Iqbal Channar.
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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that he was “shocked and saddened” at Channar’s death, which he termed as “a major loss to the party and the people of Pakistan.”
In his condolence message, the prime minister expressed condolences on his passing and described him as a sincere public representative, a dedicated member of PML-N and a loyal associate of the late Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The former prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, said he had worked closely with Malik Iqbal Channar in the previous Punjab cabinet and applauded his commitment, integrity and dedication towards the people.
He added that the memory of Channar’s loyalty, honesty and service to the public will remain forever in the annals of years to come.
The Prime Minister expressed his profound sympathy to Malik Zaheer Iqbal Channar and the family and hoped that Allah Almighty may give them patience and strength in this unfortunate situation.
He also prayed for him to be forgiven by Allah and that he be placed in the best place in Jannat-ul-Firdous.
Condolences were also extended to Malik Iqbal Channar’s family by political and social dignitaries from all over the country who expressed their grief at his demise.
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