Balbir Punj, an Indian journalist and politician who served as a member of Parliament from 2000 to 2006 and again from 2008 to 2014, died on April 18, 2026, aged 76.
Born on October 2, 1949, in Lalowal, East Punjab, India, he began his journalism career with Motherland in 1971 and later worked for Financial Express from 1974 to 1996. He was executive editor of The Observer of Business and Politics from May 1996 to March 2000 and also worked for Hindustan Times and The Indian Express.
Punj wrote on social, economic and political issues and received the Lifelong Devrishi Narad Samman Award in 2022.
Balbir Punj, 76, Indian journalist (Hindustan Times, The Indian Express) and politician, MP (2000–2006, 2008–2014).