Several bigwigs fall prey to coronavirus

Former premier Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and senator Kalsoom Parveen had lost their battle to the deadly contagion

ISLAMABAD:

With the Covid hitting several prominent figures, Prime Minister Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi are the latest ones to be infected by the deadly disease.

In January, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had been hit by the contagion due to which the PPP chairman was unable to attend his sister Bakhtawar’s engagement ceremony. The Bhutto scion had to make his presence through video link in the event.

The pandemic proved fatal for some people including former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and PML-N senator Kalsoom Parveen.

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Earlier, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, planning minister Asad Umar, former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, interior minister Sheikh Rashid, Sindh and Punjab chief ministers Murad Ali Shah and Usman Buzdar and many other political personalities had also been infected by the virus.

On Saturday, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan confirmed that PM Imran had tested positive for the virus. Reports also stated that premier’s wife Bushra Bibi had been infected by the strain.

Other politicians who were hit by the virus include Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, law minister Farogh Naseem, former National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq, PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal, PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ghani, parliamentary committee chairman Shehryar Afridi, Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz, Senator Maula Bakhsh Chandio and others.

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Saeed Ghani of the PPP was the first politician who was infected by Covid-19.

Health experts have warned that the third wave of the virus has hit the country. Citizens have been time and again asked to wear mask, maintain social distancing, avoid gatherings and wash their hands with frequent intervals.