KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan MNA Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan, popularly known as deputy Iqbal, passed away at a local hospital here on Tuesday. He was 64.

His party said he had undergone heart surgery last month but could not recuperate due to post-medical procedure complications.

The funeral prayers would be offered on Wednesday (today) in Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s Jama Masjid Farooqi near DC-East Office.

His association with the MQM spanned more than three decades. He was elected as a councillor in 1987 from the platform of Haq Parast Group of the then Mohajir Qaumi Movement.

The late MNA had won the National Assembly seat for four consecutive times.

He had first contested the 2002 general election, won the NA seat in the 2008 and 2013 general elections.

He was among the four MQM-P MNAs who had been elected from Karachi in the 2018 general election.

He had also served as the federal minister for housing for a brief period between 2008 and 2013 when the MQM-P was a coalition partner of the Pakistan Peoples Party-led federal government.

During his four terms as the MNA, he had headed several standing committees of the National Assembly.

According to a press release, MQM-P convenor Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqi expressed deep sorrow and grief over his demise. He remembered him as committed and dedicated party worker.

His death was widely condoled by politicians and people from different walks of life.

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari offered his condolence with the bereaved family and prayed for the departed soul.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2022

Must Read

Ukraine, Nato and the future of Europe

Ukraine, Nato and the future of Europe

The spectacle of the verbal spat between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelensky in the Oval Office was stark evidence of a tectonic shift in longstanding US foreign policy on Ukraine, Russia, Europe and Nato.

Opinion

Editorial

After the review
Updated 16 Mar, 2025

After the review

Should prepare economy for durable growth by attracting foreign private investments to boost productivity and exports.
Embracing crypto
16 Mar, 2025

Embracing crypto

IT seems a little prod was all it took for Pakistan to finally ‘embrace the future’. The Pakistan Crypto Council...
Fault lines
16 Mar, 2025

Fault lines

IT was a distressing spectacle, though a sadly predictable one. As the National Assembly took up for discussion the...
Revised solar policy
Updated 15 Mar, 2025

Revised solar policy

Criticism policy revisions misplaced as these will increase payback periods for consumers with oversized solar systems.
Toxic prejudice
15 Mar, 2025

Toxic prejudice

WITH far-right movements on the march across the world, it is no surprise that anti-Muslim bias is witnessing high...
Children in jails
15 Mar, 2025

Children in jails

PAKISTAN’S children in prison have often been treated like adult criminals. The Sindh government’s programme to...