SUJAWAL  -  Raees Ghulam Qadir Khan Malkani, a former provincial minister and seasoned politician, passed away on Wednesday night after a prolonged illness. He was 70 years old.

Malkani breathed his last at the National Medical Center in Karachi, where he had been receiving treatment for several days. Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and other party leaders expressed deep grief over the loss of the stalwart politician, who had been affiliated with the PPP since 2008.

Malkani enjoyed a significant reputation as the patriarch of the Jat Tribe across the province. He entered parliamentary politics in 1985 by defeating Shafqat Shah Bukhari and was re-elected in 1990. He served as provincial minister for culture and tourism and was appointed special advisor to the Chief Minister of Sindh, Liaquat Jatoi, in 1997 and by Syed Qaim Ali Shah in 2010. During his long political career, Malkani was affiliated with various parties, including Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-Azam, and Pakistan Muslim League-Junejo. He contested general elections in 1988 and 2008 but lost. After the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, he joined the PPP but parted ways in 2013, only to rejoin in 2015 and remain a member until his passing.

 Business activities in Jati, Chuhar Jamali, Begna and other areas of district Sujawal remained suspended to mourn the death of former minister.

A large number of people gathered in Jati city, Sujawal district, to pay their respects as soon as his body arrived. His cousin and provincial minister, Muhammad Ali Malkani, termed his death a huge loss for the people of Sujawal district. As a chieftain of the Jat Tribe, Malkani held a prominent reputation in Tando Muhammad Khan, Badin, Thatta, and other parts of Sindh. A large number of people from various walks of life attended his funeral prayers in Raj Malk, his native town.