Former defence minister and chairman Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar passed away on Wednesday. He was 74. Mukhtar had served as the defence minister in the former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani-led cabinet. In a tweet, the PIA administration also offered their deepest condolences to his friends and family. “May Allah rest his soul in heaven. On behalf of CEO PIA Air Marshal Arshad Malik and PIA family, we express deepest condolences to his friends and kins,” the tweet read. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also extended his condolences on the demise of the former minister. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and former president Asif Zardari expressed grief over the demise of the former federal minister. They remembered Mukhtar as a steadfast and experienced leader and an asset to the party. “I am deeply saddened by his demise. We will always miss him,” Bilawal said. On behalf of the PPP, the chairman extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.