Summary The former Indian premier breathed his last on Thursday.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Interim Information Minister Ali Zafar will reportedly attend the last rites of former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi.
Vajpayee had battled poor health for years but his condition deteriorated sharply in recent days.
The former premier was being treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, where he was admitted nine weeks ago with health complications.
"Unfortunately, his condition deteriorated over the last 36 hours and he was put on life support systems. Despite the best efforts, we have lost him today," AIIMS said in a statement.
"We join the nation in deeply mourning this great loss."
His waning health sparked a flurry of visits from top dignitaries Thursday, including Modi and senior cabinet ministers.
Vajpayee, a former journalist and poet-turned-politician, was credited with helping lay the foundations for the meteoric rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the right-wing political powerhouse that rules India today.
Pakistan condoles death
Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Faisal said Vajpayee was a renowned statesman who contributed to bringing a change in India-Pakistan relations and remained a key supporter of Saarc and regional cooperation for development.
“We have learnt with sadness the passing away of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister of India, who was undergoing treatment in a hospital in New Delhi,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“The government and people of Pakistan extend their heartfelt condolences to his family and to the government and people of India,” it added.
