Veteran politician Meraj Muhammad Khan died after prolonged illness in Karachi at the age of 77.
Khan was suffering from a respiratory problem. His funeral prayer would be offered after Friday prayers in Karachi.
Khan was founding personality of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). In 1971, he was appointed Minister for Manpower and later quit PPP after developing differences with the party.
He was a key player in the movement that led to the formation of the PPP, the movement against General Ayub Khan in 1968, which was sparked off by NSF-led students, as well as the movement for the restoration of democracy (MRD) against General Ziaul Haq from its formation in 1981 until it culminated in 1988.
In 1998, he joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), but resigned from the party in 2003. Later on he then joined Mazdoor Kisan Party, which later merged with the Communist Party of Pakistan to form the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party.