LARKANA:The funeral prayer of former PPP leader, Convener, Larkana Awami Ittehad and veteran politician Haji Munawar Ali Abbasi, was offered at a playground here on Saturday.

A large number of his followers, voters and supporters attended the funeral. Abbasi breathed his last at a private hospital in Karachi due to asthma and kidney problems at the age of 76 and his body was shifted to Larkana for final rites.

The funeral was attended by PPP district president Abdul Fatah Bhutto, advocate Asif Soomro, JUI-F’s Rashid Mahmood Soomro and Nasir Mahmood Soomro, PTI’s Allah Bux Unar, Shahid Rind, Adnan Altaf Unar, Dr. Safdar Abbasi, Changez Abro, Sardar Muhammad Ali Hakro, Niaz Hussain Abro and other political and social welfare personalities. He was laid to rest as Arab Pir graveyard in the city.

Abbasi was born on 30th September 1944 in Larkana. He received his education in Larkana, Jamshoro and Karachi and was elected at the very outset as Chairman, Larkana Municipal Committee in 1977. He was elected five times as MPA and remained provincial minister for two times holding several portfolios. His mother Begum Ashraf Abbasi was close to PPP founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. She remained deputy speaker, National Assembly of Pakistan.

After the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, differences erupted between the PPP leadership and his family which forced his family to carry on politics on their own. His son Moazzim Ali Abbasi defeated PPP candidate Jameel Soomro in the 2018 byelection in Larkana which is considered a major defeat of the PPP in its stronghold and it also proved the major power of the Abbasi family and their voters and supporters.

Abbasi was considered a very kind-hearted politician as he always wholeheartedly supported and helped his voters, followers and supporters. Due to COVID 19 pandemic, the ceremony was attended by a limited number of guests.