Shehbaz Sharif tests positive for COVID-19

LAHORE: PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif tested positive for coronavirus, party spokesman Marriyum Aurangzeb said Thursday, the latest among several lawmakers who tested positive for the infection in recent days.

Aurangzeb said Shehbaz was isolating himself at home and following doctors' advice on how to fight the infection.

PML-N representative Ata Tarar, speaking with Geo News, revealed that Shehbaz had been tested for COVID-19 after showing mild symptoms of the infection. He said the test result tested positive on June 10 at 4 p.m.

"NAB called him on June 9. We continue to say that he is a cancer survivor, and even if you want to conduct the investigation, please do so via video link. However, this is blind political revenge," he said.

In response to a question about the former Punjab prime minister traveling with hundreds of PML-N workers and not paying attention to social distancing protocols, Tarar said he had asked party supporters to stay inside and not meet in public places.

"It wasn't an official call from the party [to get them out]," he said. "We wanted to avoid this situation. I mean in a record that, if God forbid, something would happen to him, NAB and Imran Niazi will be responsible."

A day earlier, PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal tested positive for coronavirus.

Previously, Aurangzeb tested positive for the coronavirus along with his mother. He joined a long list of lawmakers who tested positive for the virus, including former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Sindh Khurrum Sher Zaman's PTI MPA.

On Monday, the railway minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, and PTIA MNA Jai Prakash contracted the infection.

On Sunday, PPP MPA Sharjeel Memon announced that it had tested positive for coronavirus and had isolated itself.

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

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

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

Previously, many politicians including Ghulam Ahmad Bilour of ANP, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, Sindh Minister of Education Saeed Ghani, Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser, and Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Assembly Dost Muhammad Mazari tested positive for coronavirus, after which they isolated themselves and recovered.

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

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