SAHIWAL: A seven-time MPA, Arshad Khan Lodhi, passed away in Lahore in the early hours of Tuesday. He was 81.

Family sources said his funeral prayers would be offered in Harappa on Wednesday (today).

Mr Arshad’s son-in-law and nephew PML-N MPA from Harappa Naveed Khan Lodhi said the lawmaker had suffered a stroke and been bed-ridden for over a year. His family belonged to Harappa city.

Arshad first became an MPA following the 1972 elections and later won six more times. He lost the 2008 general elections, but returned to the Punjab Assembly in 2013.

Arshad was born on Oct 1, 1937 in Jalandhar, India. He graduated from the Government College, Lahore in 1959 and obtained an LLB degree in 1966 from the University of Karachi. He was a practicing lawyer and an agriculturist.

He served as the chairman of Harappa Union Council and the Markaz Council in 1968; and was a member of the Sahiwal District Council from 1979 to 83. He also served as the chairman of Punjab Crime Control Committee and Price Control Committee. He served as the general secretary of the Pakistan Football Federation from 2003-07 and its senior vice president till 2011.

The veteran politician also served as a parliamentary secretary and held various portfolios as a minister, including colonies, revenue, relief, industries, mineral development, transport, agriculture, livestock and dairy development, consolidation and planning and development.

He was a loyal Muslim Leaguer, but joined the PML-Q during the Musharraf era. For the 2018 general elections, he fielded his son-in-law Naveed for his ancestral seat. Naveed won on a PML-N ticket. Mr Arshad was considered a confidante of Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif.

Our Staff Reporter from Lahore adds: PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Husain, Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and MPA Moonis Elahi expressed grief over the veteran’s demise.

In a statement, the PML-Q described Mr Arshad as a seasoned politician and parliamentarian. He had spent a lot of time in the PML-Q and his services would always be remembered. They prayed for the departed soul and solace and patience for his family.

Mr Elahi also condoled with the family members of Mr Arshad.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2019