KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday tested negative for Covid-19 after catching the coronavirus and staying in self-isolation for more than a week, paving the way for his appearance in Dec 13 Pakistan Democratic Movement rally in Lahore, a senior official said.

The confirmation of the PPP chairman’s recovery came from a senior member of the Sindh cabinet who, however, did not mention any detail about the status of isolation of Mr Bhutto-Zardari.

“Alhamdolillah the coronavirus report of PPP chairman has turned negative. May Allah give him good health and long life,” announced Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah in a brief tweet.

The PPP chairman on November 26 disclosed that he was self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19. This stopped him from attending the Nov 30 PDM rally in Multan.

He had decided to undergo coronavirus test after his key adviser Jameel Soomro tested Covid-19 positive.

Due to the self-isolation, Mr Bhutto-Zardari had also missed the engagement ceremony of his sister Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari on Nov 27 in Bilawal House.

The youngest among the three siblings Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari had got her elder brother connected with party guests at the engagement ceremony through video link.

Only on Wednesday Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had announced that he had also recovered from coronavirus. On Nov 16, Mr Shah was diagnosed with Covid-19 and had gone into home isolation.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2020