Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab has become the latest politician to test positive for the coronavirus, it emerged on Saturday.
Speaking to Dawn.com, Wahab’s PRO Sikander Baloch said that three day ago, several staff members at his office were tested for Covid-19. The test results of four staff members came back positive, he said.
He added that following this, Wahab had complained of having a sore throat and had decided to also undergo testing. “The test results came back positive today,” he said.
Baloch said that Wahab has quarantined himself at home, adding that none of his family members has been diagnosed with the respiratory illness.
Multiple politicians, including members of the ruling PTI, have been diagnosed with the virus as the government insists on easing lockdown measures against doctors’ advice.
Prominent political leaders who have contracted the virus so far include National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and PPP leader Saeed Ghani, all of whom have recovered.
Last week, former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani had tested positive for coronavirus. A few days prior to this, president and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and President of PTI Karachi chapter and member Sindh Assembly Khurram Sher Zaman had also tested positive.
MQM-P leader Faisal Sabzwari was also diagnosed with the virus, along with his parents, wife, and daughter. Before that, another federal minister, Shehryar Afridi, had also tested positive and gone into isolation. However, Afridi announced yesterday that he had recovered from the illness.
In the first week of June, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had tested positive.
Former Balochistan governor Syed Fazal Agha, PTI Punjab MPA Shaheen Raza, Sindh Minister for Human Settlement Ghulam Murtaza Baloch, MNA Munir Khan Orakzai and PTI’s Mian Jamshedud Din Kakakhel are among politicians who passed away after contracting the virus.
