Pakistani woman legislator becomes first politician to die from coronavirus

Undated file photo of Shaheen Raza, the legislator from Punjab Assembly and member of the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Raza died of COVID-19 on 20 May, 2020. (Photo courtesy: social media)
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Updated 20 May 2020
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Pakistani woman legislator becomes first politician to die from coronavirus

  • Raza was elected to the Punjab Assembly on a special seat in 2018
  • Was brought to a hospital in Lahore on May 17 after her condition deteriorated

LAHORE: Shaheen Raza, a woman legislator from Punjab’s provincial assembly, became the first Pakistani politician to die from coronavirus on Wednesday, officials told Arab News.

Raza, 60, was elected to a special seat reserved for women in 2018 and represented the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

“Shaheen Raza, a PTI female MPA (Member of the Provincial Assembly), has died. She is the first member of the assembly who lost her life fighting the pandemic disease,” Abdul Qahar Rashed, spokesperson for the Punjab Assembly (PA) told Arab News.

The PA has a total strength of 371 members; 297 of whom are directly elected, with 66 seats reserved for women and eight allocated for non-Muslim citizens. 

After being diagnosed with coronavirus symptoms, Raza was admitted to a hospital in Gujranwala, 73.4 km away from Lahore, capital of the populous Punjab province, where she hailed from.

However, after her condition deteriorated last week, she was moved to the Mayo Hospital in Lahore on May 17, where she lost her life.

“Shaheena Raza was admitted to Mayo Hospital, Lahore on May 17, 2020, and was on the ventilator since then and died today (Wednesday),” Dr. Tahir Khalil, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, confirmed to Arab News.

Expressing his sorrow over her untimely demise, Punjab Chief Minister, Usman Buzdar, said Raza was a “great asset to the party.”

“It is very sad news that we have lost our colleague, Shaheen Raza. She was a great asset of the party,” a statement released by his media office said.

As of Wednesday, 1,932 people had tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 45,898 across the country, according to data shared by the National Command and Control Center.

Out of the total count, 16,685 cases were registered from the Punjab province alone.
 


Pakistan army hits Afghan Taliban drone storage facility, ammunition depot in Jalalabad

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Pakistan army hits Afghan Taliban drone storage facility, ammunition depot in Jalalabad

  • Around 435 Afghan Taliban fighters killed, over 630 injured in Pakistani military offensive, minister says
  • Several countries, global bodies have urged both sides to exercise restraint since the conflict began last week

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army struck a drone storage facility and ammunition depot of Afghan Taliban in Jalalabad, a Pakistani security official said on Monday, following Pakistani strikes on more than 50 locations in Afghanistan amid ongoing hostilities between the neighbors.

Pakistan launched Operation ‘Ghazb lil Haq’ against Afghanistan on the night of Feb. 26 following an attack by Afghanistan on Pakistani military installations along their shared border.

The worst fighting between the two neighbors in years erupted after Pakistani airstrikes targeted what Islamabad called militant hideouts inside Afghanistan on Feb. 21-22, accusing Kabul of harboring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants behind the attacks on its soil. Afghanistan denies the charge.

A Pakistani security official, who requested anonymity, said the army was continuing “strong retaliatory action” against the Afghan Taliban and blew up multiple border posts, forcing them to abandon their positions.

“Pakistan forces are effectively targeting the bases and military installations of the Fitna Al-Khawarij and the Afghan Taliban,” he said.

“During the effective counter-operation of the Pakistani forces, the ammunition depot and drone storage site of Fitna Al-Khawarij (TTP) and the Afghan Taliban in Jalalabad was destroyed.”

Separately, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said more than 400 Afghan Taliban fighters had been killed and over 630 wounded in the Pakistani military offensive so far.

Pakistan destroyed around 188 check posts and captured 31, according to a post on X by Tarar. Over 180 tanks, armored vehicles and artillery guns were also destroyed in Pakistani air raids at 51 locations across Afghanistan.

On Sunday, Pakistani state media shared a video of what it said were Pakistani soldiers crossing into Afghanistan in the northwest to capture an Afghan post. Pakistan has seized a 32-square-kilometer area of Afghanistan, another Pakistani security official said.

Afghan officials earlier said that dozens of Pakistani soldiers had been killed and several Pakistan posts had been captured by their forces. None of the casualty figures or battlefield claims from either side could be independently verified.

Since the conflict began last week, diplomatic efforts have intensified, with several countries and international bodies calling on both sides to exercise restraint.

The United Nations, along with China and Russia, has called for calm, while US President Donald Trump said Pakistan has the right to defend itself against cross-border militancy.