LAHORE, July 14: Pakistan People's Party leader Sheikh Rafiq Ahmad died in a local hospital after a protracted illness on Saturday. He was 85. Sheikh Rafiq had suffered attacks of paralysis twice during the last two months and was shifted to the Shalimar Hospital a week ago in critical condition.

The late Rafiq started his political career from the PPP platform. He became the Punjab Assembly speaker after winning a seat from the Walled City in 1973 election, and a senator in the first tenure of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

After Meraj Khalid, he was the second PPP leader who neither accumulated any bank balance nor acquired any property.

He has left behind a daughter and a son. His son is mentally retarded due to the torture he had to go through during Gen Zia's regime.