ISLAMABAD: The family of Senator Irfan ul Haq Siddiqui clarified on Monday that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader has not been placed on a ventilator and remains under treatment in an intensive care unit due to breathing complications.
In a statement, Siddiqui’s family said he had been receiving medical care at a hospital in Islamabad for the past few days after experiencing respiratory problems. They said doctors had shifted him to the ICU for closer monitoring but had not required ventilator support.
The clarification followed social media claims earlier in the day that the veteran politician’s condition had deteriorated and that he was on a ventilator. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry had also shared a post on X stating that Siddiqui had been placed on life support, prompting concern among party colleagues and supporters.
The family rejected the reports, saying they were inaccurate and had caused unnecessary alarm. They urged the public and media to avoid speculation and wait for verified medical updates.
Siddiqui’s hospitalisation coincided with Monday’s Senate proceedings on the 27th Constitutional Amendment, in which his absence was noted as the government sought the required two-thirds majority to pass the bill.
A senior parliamentarian and columnist, Siddiqui serves as the PML-N’s parliamentary leader in the Senate and chairs the Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs.
In 2019, he was briefly detained at his Islamabad residence under the tenancy law for not informing the police about renting out his house and was later released on bail.
The family thanked supporters for their prayers and said updates on his condition would be shared once doctors advised.
