Sindh minister Ghulam Murtaza Baloch dies of coronavirus

KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Human Settlement Haji Ghulam Murtaza Baloch passed away on Tuesday after battling coronavirus, provincial government spokesman Murtaza Wahab said.

Announcing the sad news on twitter, Wahab said, "he was a genuine political worker & a very polite and humble human being. May Allah SWT bless his soul.”

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah have expressed grief on the death of the party’s Malir district president.

"It is very difficult to fill the vacuum created due to his death," Shah said.

He had contracted the virus during relief activities in his hometown on May 14 and requested for the prayers for a speedy recovery. He was elected to the Sindh Assembly from PS-88 Malir-II in July 2018 elections.

Baloch was moved to the intensive care at a private hospital in Karachi after his condition deteriorated on May 23.

Baloch is the second lawmaker in Pakistan who have died from COVID-19 after Shaheen Raza, who succumbed to coronavirus last month. She was a PTI lawmaker in the Punjab Assembly.

Senator Moula Bux Chandio tests positive

Senior PPP leader and Senator Maula Bux Chandio has also tested positive for coronavirus after which he went into self-isolation.

"My wife and son have also tested positive for the virus," Chandio said, adding: "I am spending time reading books."

Furthermore, he said that he was "fine".

Several high-ranking government functionaries including federal minister Shehryar Afridi, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and provincial minister Saeed Ghani were also tested positive for COVID-19.

Earlier today, MNA Munir Orakzai died of cardiac arrest just weeks after recovering from COVID-19.