Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Mushahidullah Khan, 68, passed away in Islamabad in the wee hours of Thursday.

The PML-N senator was not well for quite some time; however, the cause of his death was not immediately clear. Senator Mushahidullah’s funeral prayers will be held after Zuhr in Islamabad’s Sector H-11 on Thursday, according to his family.

The death of the senator was shared by PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz in a tweet. She prayed tribute to the senator’s services, calling him the “loyal and exceptional companion” of former premier Nawaz Sharif.

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“I am shattered to hear the sad news. Will never be able to forget his fatherly affection and love. Huge, huge loss,” she said.

As per a report in Dawn, Mushahidullah had remained a trusted comrade of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif ever since the latter was forced into exile after the military coup in 1999. First appointed party information secretary and later made a senator in 2009, he also served as the party spokesperson for many years.

The PML-N leader was also awarded a ticket to contest the upcoming Senate elections on a general seat.

The senior PML-N leader also was the chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Aviation and a member of the Council of Chairpersons and various others standing committees. He was also part of the parliamentary committees on Appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and Members of the Election Commission of Pakistan, Kashmir, and National Security.