Gas leak blast: Ex-federal minister Abbas Afridi succumbs to burn injuries

KOHAT: Former federal minister and senator Abbas Afridi, who had sustained burn injuries in a gas leakage blast on Tuesday, succumbed to burn injuries at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Kharian.

He had been critically injured in the gas leakage explosion at his residence in Azim Bagh area in Kohat district.Afridi, along with three friends identified as Dilnawaz, Nadeem and Javed Afridi suffered severe burns in the incident.According to the police, Afridi and his friends, Dilnawaz, Javed Afridi and Nadeem, were present in the hujra when the gas leak caused an explosion.

It was learnt that the intensity of the blast damaged the walls of the hujra.Abbas Afridi was initially taken to CMH Kohat and later shifted to the burn centre at CMH Kharian due to the critical nature of his injuries. Despite doctors’ efforts, he could not survive.

His three companions were under treatment in Peshawar and Kharian.The funeral prayers for the late senator were offered in his ancestral village of Babri Banda, Kohat.

Prominent figures from politics, business, and civil society, including senior officials and local notables, from across the country attended his funeral prayer.

Abbas Afridi was the son of senior politician Senator Shamim Afridi and the brother of former provincial information minister Amjad Afridi. He hailed from one of Kohat’s most influential political families.

Known for his soft-spoken nature and close ties with national political leaders, Abbas Afridi was also a successful businessman and had remained aligned with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

Just days before his death, his family had faced another major blow when his brother, Amjad Afridi, was arrested in connection with a murder case.

The sudden sequence of events has shocked the political and social landscape of Kohat.Messages of condolences continued to pour in from across the country.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed deep sorrow and grief over Afridi’s death.

He expressed his heartfelt sympathy to the deceased’s family and other relatives, saying: “We all share the same grief with them in this hour of grief.”

Kundi directed authorities to investigate the nature of the explosion after receiving information about the blast.Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Deputy Chairman Zahid Khan also expressed grief over the demise of Afridi, calling him a “sociable and sincere person.”

Qaumi Watan Party Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao also extended heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased and prayed to Allah Almighty to rest the departed soul in eternal peace. He said that Abbas Afridi was a decent human being and a devoted politician.