KARACHI: Former Sindh chief minister and senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Aftab Shaban Mirani passed away on Saturday after a long illness, his family confirmed.
According to the family, funeral prayers will be offered at 10pm tonight (Saturday) at Masjid Bait-ul-Islam in Karachi’s Defence Phase-IV area. He will later be laid to rest at Gizri Graveyard, they added.
Mirani, a seasoned politician, served as Sindh’s chief minister in 1990 and later as federal defence minister in Benazir Bhutto’s second government (1993–1996). Over the years, he was elected multiple times to the National Assembly on the PPP ticket, remaining an influential voice within the party.
Expressing his sorrow, President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to Mirani, calling him “a loyal companion of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, and a steadfast pillar of the PPP.”
Similarly, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah conveyed heartfelt condolences, describing Mirani as “a man of integrity, humility, and commitment who rendered invaluable services to the party and the province.”
Murad added that Mirani’s contributions to democracy and his unwavering dedication to the PPP would be remembered with deep respect.
Sindh Assembly Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah, along with PPP leaders Shazia Marri, Sehar Kamran, and others, also mourned his passing and prayed for eternal peace for the departed soul.
