New Delhi: Former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh passed away on Saturday night after a prolonged illness, family sources said. He was 93. He breathed his last at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram near Delhi, where he had been admitted for the past couple of weeks, they said.

Singh was born in 1931 in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. He was a career diplomat, who brought a wealth of experience in diplomacy to his political career and a prolific author on subjects ranging from the life of a maharaja to nuances of foreign affairs.

During his distinguished career, he wore many hats, and for his service to the nation, the former external affairs minister was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1984. “His son is there at the hospital, and many more family members are coming to Delhi from his native state for the last rites planned in Delhi. He was not keeping well for some time,” a family source told PTI late night on Saturday.

He died late Saturday night, the source said. A former Congress MP, Singh was India’s External Affairs Minister for the period 2004-05 during the UPA-I government led by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

He also served as ambassador to Pakistan and was attached to the office of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from 1966 to 1971.Veteran politician Randeep Surjewala paid tribute to the former external affairs minister in a post on X.

“The news of the demise of former Foreign Minister Natwar Singh ji is sad. May God give strength to his family to bear this loss and grant peace to the departed soul,” he wrote on the social media platform in Hindi and also posted a photograph of Singh.Singh also authored several books including, ‘The Legacy of Nehru: A Memorial Tribute’ and ‘My China Diary 1956-88’. His autobiography is titled ‘One Life is Not Enough ‘.