Shanghai
\nFormer Chinese premier Li Keqiang, a reform-minded bureaucrat once tipped as the country\u2019s future leader only to be eclipsed by President Xi Jinping, died on Friday. He was 68. He had a heart attack on Thursday and passed away in Shanghai just after midnight, state-run news agency Xinhua said. Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said he was \u201cdeeply saddened and shocked\u201d to learn about Li\u2019s passing and called him a \u201cgreat friend of Pakistan\u201d. \u201cWe fondly remember his visit to Pakistan in 2013. Our thoughts and sympathies are with late premier Li, his family and with the Chinese nation at this hour of grief,\u201d he said on a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
\nForeign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani remembered Li as a \u201cstatesman\u201d, adding that he contributed to \u201cstrengthening\u201d ties between Pakistan and China.
\n\u201cAs the then-foreign secretary, I organised his visit to Pakistan in May 2013. My thoughts are with premier Li, his family and the Chinese people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Shanghai Former Chinese premier Li Keqiang, a reform-minded bureaucrat once tipped as the country\u2019s future leader only to be eclipsed by President Xi Jinping, died on Friday. He was 68. He had a heart attack on Thursday and passed away in Shanghai just after midnight, state-run news agency Xinhua said. Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-364571","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n