MULTAN: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) MPA-elect from PP-296 (Rajanpur) Tariq Khan Dreshak died of meningitis fever here on Sunday. He was 48. He left behind his wife, a son and three daughters.

Mr Dreshak was first shifted to the Dera Ghazi Khan district headquarters hospital from where doctors referred him to Multan given his serious condition. He was shifted to a private hospital in Multan in critical condition where he was admitted to the intensive care unit and remained under treatment for four days.

The deceased was the nephew of former chief whip of the Punjab Assembly, Nasarullah Khan Dreshak He won the provincial assembly seat by securing 42,119 votes in the July 25 elections.

His funeral prayers were held at his hometown, Ahsani, some 25 kilometre from Rajanpur city.

A senior registrar at the hospital, Dr Abdul Khaliq, said that meningitis caused inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. The patients with bacterial meningitis should be shifted to the hospital without any delay as early diagnosis and treatment could prevent brain damage and death, he added.

Mr Dreshak was touring the constituency after winning the election to say thanks to his voters when he fell ill, our DG Khan correspondent adds.

He remained Nazim of union council in Mudharafers. He had run for the provincial assembly thrice but was elected only once, in the July 25 polls.

He was laid to rest in his native village Ausni.

Meanwhile, PTI chairman Imran Khan has offered his condolences over the death of Mr Dreshak.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2018