KARACHI: Former Sindh Chief Minister Aftab Shaban Mirani passed away on Saturday after a prolonged illness, his family confirmed. Funeral prayers will be offered tonight at 10pm at Masjid Bait-ul-Islam in Defence Phase-IV, Karachi, with burial scheduled at the Gizri Graveyard.
Mirani was a senior political figure and served as Sindh’s chief minister in 1990. He also held the position of Defence Minister during Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s tenure from 1993 to 1996.
A seasoned politician, Mirani was elected multiple times to the National Assembly on the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ticket, making him a long-standing member and influential leader within the party.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep grief over Mirani’s passing, describing him as a close associate of both Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto and a devoted stalwart of the PPP. Zardari highlighted Mirani’s loyalty, dedication, and significant contributions to the party and national politics.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah also expressed profound sorrow and extended condolences to Mirani’s family and the PPP leadership. In his statement, Shah praised Mirani as a man of integrity, humility, and dignity, noting his invaluable role in the party and close association with the Bhutto family.
Several other political figures and party members mourned his death, including Sindh Assembly Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah, PPP MNAs Shazia Marri and Sehar Kamran, among others. They remembered Mirani as a respected leader who devoted his life to public service and party work.
Mirani’s passing marks the end of a significant chapter in Sindh’s political landscape. His contributions to the province and his party are widely recognised, and his loss has elicited an outpouring of grief from political colleagues, party workers, and citizens alike. Pakistan remembers Aftab Shaban Mirani as a steadfast politician whose commitment to his party and the nation left a lasting legacy.
