Former Director of the Department of Public Information (DPI) and Communications Director of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Imran Khan, died in the wee hours of Tuesday while receiving medical attention at the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.
Khan, who had also been an active member of the Alliance for Change (AFC), had been unvaccinated.
In the outpouring of condolences after his passing, the AFC party have said Khan “epitomised some exceptional qualities – youth, commitment, enthusiasm and resistance”. The Party, in a statement, pointed out that Khan remigrated from Antigua a few years ago, and later served in the party and on the election frontlines.
“He joined the AFC and brought his exceptional knowledge of the media and public relations environment to the day-to-day operations of our small party, allowing us to ‘bat above our league’. His unmatched creativity, knowledge of the digital media environment, and excellent writing skills were seen in two election campaigns and while he managed the Department of Public Information.”
The AFC labelled Khan as a person who enjoyed the “simple things” in life, and regarded his passing as a “tragic loss of monumental proportions” as they sent condolences to his bereaved family and friends
Former DPI Director Imran Khan
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Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon, whom Khan served as Communications Director, also expressed his profound sadness at the passing of Khan.
“To his wife Tamara and other family members we offer our deepest condolences and regret. When we read his upbeat note on Sunday, asking for a fruit salad and praising coconut water, we assumed he had passed the worst and was well on the way to recovery. The suddenness of his death some hours later, attributed to acute respiratory failure, has been a terrible shock to us all,” Harmon noted on behalf of the APNU.
He regarded Khan as a passionate member of the coalition at the helm of public information.
“He was a Guyanese who believed that all Guyanese deserved a just and good life, and used all his efforts to ensure that access to information underpinned that right. When he returned from his life in Antigua to join the coalition through the AFC, he came with eagerness and an energy that was exemplary. Our grief is profound. Guyana has lost a true son.”
TV Personality Chandranarine Sharma
In addition, Chairperson of the People’s National Congress Reform, Volda Lawrence, stated, “Mr. Khan worked diligently in public service as Director of the Department of Public Information and subsequently Head of Communications in the Office of the Leader of the Opposition. He leaves an enduring imprint on the lives of all those who had the opportunity to interact with him.”
The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) also expressed condolences, since Khan had served as Corporate Communications Officer of the West Indies Cricket Board, and Head of Marketing for Stanford T20 Cricket, among other positions over the years.
He will be laid to rest today.
This news of Khan’s passing comes just a few months after former journalist and popular broadcaster Mondale Smith lost his battle to the deadly novel coronavirus. He also passed away while a patient at the Infectious Disease Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
And reports were confirmed on Tuesday that former TV personality and politician Chandranarine Sharma was also being treated for the virus at the designated facility. The 69-year-old Sharma has tested positive for the virus. He is the leader of the Justice For All Party and the host of the “Voice of the People” programme.
