Senior PML-N leader and member of National Assembly Pervaiz Malik, 73, passed away in Lahore Monday after suffering a heart attack.

The PML-N Lahore president had been ill for a long period of time. Despite his health conditions, Malik had been looking after party affairs on the direction of the leadership.

In a statement later in the day, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the leader’s death. “The party today has lost a very capable, loyal, brave, sincere leader and a very good man,” he tweeted.

Shehbaz said that the demise of Malik is a “great loss to Nawaz Sharif “.

پاکستان مسلم لیگ (ن) کے صدر اور قائد حزب اختلاف شہباز شریف کا پارٹی کے سینئر رہنما پرویز ملک کے انتقال پر رنج و غم اور افسوس کا اظہار

پارٹی آج ایک نہایت قابل، وفادار، بہادر، مخلص رہنما اور نہایت اچھے انسان سے محروم ہو گئی ہے pic.twitter.com/uylfTPcFdZ

— PML(N) (@pmln_org) October 11, 2021

“He was a valuable asset of the party and it will not be possible to fill the gap he has left behind,” he added.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said he was “greatly saddened” by the news and recalled the PML-N leader as a “sophisticated, sociable and loving person”. “You will be missed,” he added.

ملک پرویز صاحب کی رحلت کا سن کر انتہائ دکھ ہوا، انتہائ نفیس ملنسار اور محبت کرنیوالے شخص ملک صاحب you will be missed RIP

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) October 11, 2021

National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, too, offered condolences to Malik’s family.

Deeply saddened to learn about the passing of a Member National Assembly Muhammad Pervaiz Malik. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. May Allah bless him with high ranks in Jannah and give patience to his family, Ameen. pic.twitter.com/o95PJbVroQ

— Asad Qaiser (@AsadQaiserPTI) October 11, 2021

Pervaiz Malik was born on November 18, 1947. He has been the president of PML-N Lahore for more than 10 years. Malik’s wife and son are members of the National Assembly too.