PPP leader and former senator Rehman Malik has been put on a ventilator after his health deteriorated due to Covid-related complications, his spokesperson Riaz Ahmad Turi confirmed on Wednesday.

The senior PPP leader had tested positive for coronavirus around two weeks ago.

According to Turi, the former senator was initially shifted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Islamabad after his condition deteriorated. However, his condition continued to worsen and doctors put him on a ventilator on Tuesday, he added.

Malik had not been feeling well for the last 15 days. The virus affected his lungs, Turi said.

The spokesperson said the PPP leader had also been complaining of breathing problems after contracting Covid.

Meanwhile, Senator Sehar Kamran said Malik's condition was "quite serious" due to Covid and prayed for his speedy recovery.

Covid situation

Pakistan on Tuesday detected 6,047 new coronavirus infections, up from 5,327 a day earlier, and 29 more fatalities.

The national positivity rate stood at 9.9 per cent, marking the second straight day it remained below 10pc.

At a press conference a day ago, Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar appealed to the masses to get vaccinated at the earliest and urged those who have been vaccinated six months ago to go for a booster dose.

According to him, 180 million vaccine doses have been administered and 2.5m people have been inoculated with booster shots across the country so far.