PTI MNA Jai Prakash tests positive for coronavirus

PTI MNA Jai Prakash has become the latest lawmaker in the country to contract the virus  after   reports of him testing positive for COVID-19 emerged.

According to Geo News,  Prakash who attended the National Assembly session on Friday has tested positive for coronavirus.

Sources said Prakash had his test done on Friday after which he attended a session of the National Assembly. The MNA reportedly also hosted an event in the evening which was also attended by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

Sources added the event was also attended by MNA Lal Chand and other PTI members from Umarkot.

Sources further said Chand had gone into isolation after Prakash’s test came back positive. FM Qureshi has also had his test conducted, sources added.

Former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, PPP leader Sharjeel Memon test positive for COVID-19

Earlier today, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi tested positive for coronavirus, family sources told Geo News. The PML-N leader is isolating at his residence, sources added.

On Sunday, PPP MPA Sharjeel Memon announced he had tested positive for coronavirus and had gone into self-isolation.

Memon is the Sindh government’s focal person for coronavirus in Hyderabad and also attended the provincial assembly session a few days ago.

Last week, PML-N Punjab Assembly lawmaker Mian Naveed Ali from Pakpattan had tested positive for coronavirus.

Earlier, Minister of State for Narcotics Shehryar Afridi tested positive for the virus joining a long list of lawmakers to contract the coronavirus in Pakistan. PTI's chief whip in the National Assembly Aamir Dogar also tested positive for coronavirus.

Previously, many politicians including ANP’s Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, Sindh education minister Saeed Ghani, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, and Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari had tested positive for coronavirus, after which they went into self-isolation and recovered.

PTI Punjab Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Shaheen Raza was the first lawmaker in the country to succumb to the virus.

PTI MPA Mian Jamsheduddin Kakakhel from Nowshera and PML-N MPA Shaukat Manzoor Cheema from Gujranwala also passed away earlier this month after being on the ventilator for a few days.