Veteran PPP leader Malik Mukhtar Awan passes away in Multan

Lahore (Web Desk): Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) stalwart and former federal minister Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Awan passed away in Multan on Tuesday after battling a long illness. He was 83 years old.

Awan shared a longstanding political association with PPP founder and former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and held a ministerial position in Punjab during Bhutto’s government.

Following General Zia-ul-Haq’s takeover, he was arrested, imprisoned, and subjected to flogging. Years later, he was again taken into custody during General Pervez Musharraf’s military rule.

His funeral prayers are scheduled to be offered at 9:00am on Wednesday at Abdali Mosque in Multan.

Remembered as one of the PPP’s founding members, Awan played a pivotal role in establishing the party’s presence in Multan and remained its most recognised political figure in the city for decades.

He also served as a federal minister in the first government led by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto after the 1988 general elections.

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed profound grief over the demise of senior PPP leader and former federal minister Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Awan.

In his condolence message, the president acknowledged the late leader’s lifelong dedication to the PPP and his valuable contributions to public service. He described Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Awan as a committed, honourable and faithful political figure whose unwavering loyalty to the party and service to the people would remain an enduring part of his legacy.

President Zardari prayed for the elevation of the departed soul’s ranks in the hereafter and sought forgiveness for him from the Almighty. He also prayed for patience and strength for the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss.