PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior leader and former Interior Minister Rehman Malik has died of Covid-19 related complications on Tuesday. He was 70.
The former senator Malik remained the interior minister for the longest time in Pakistan’s history. Confirming his death, Malik’s spokesman said that he had difficulty in breathing and was shifted to a private hospital in Islamabad where he was on ventilator and died after several days after medical treatment. The Malik’s lungs were infected with the coronavirus.
According to his family, his funeral prayers and burial will be announced later. The PPP leader has left a widow and two sons in mourning.
PPP leader Rehman Malik was considered one of Benazir Bhutto’s most trusted associates. He had played an important role in the “Charter of Democracy” between the two major political parties of the country – PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Rehman Malik was born on December 12, 1951 in Sialkot district. He began his career as director of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). however, he had also left the country with late Benazir Bhutto and also returned with her. He was appointed Adviser to Prime Minister on Home Affairs after the 2008 elections and was later elected Senator and subsequently appointed as interior minister. He has also served as chairman of Senate Standing Committee on Home Affairs after retiring from the Interior Ministry.
In the PPP-led coalition government, he also played the role of a ‘bridge’ to address differences between the PPP and the MQM.
Rehman Malik has been praised for his role in the war on terror, along with law enforcement agencies. Karachi University awarded him an honorary degree of PhD while the government also awarded him Sitara-e-Shujaat and Nishan-e-Imtiaz for his services in the war on terror. Malik has been the victim of many controversies including the allegation of American blogger Cynthia D. Ritchie, which Rehman had denied.
Malik has authored several books, including ‘the Modi’s War Doctrine: Indian Anti-Pakistan Syndrome’ and ‘the Top 100 Investigations’. Recently, he had formed his own think tank where he used to hold events on important occasions and started publishing research papers.