Hakim Ali Zardari was a rare breed of politician who arose from a rural background and acquired recognition in urban life for principled, democratic and progressive politics, said Sindh Assembly speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro. He said this while addressing a condolence reference organised by the Sindh Madressatul Islam (SMI) College on Saturday for Hakim, a former MNA and President Asif Ali Zardari’s father, who died on May 24. Khuhro said Hakim was a courageous politician, who agitated against the dictatorships of Ayub Khan and General Zia and as a result had to face imprisonment for quite some time.
“Sindh has produced great leaders like Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Ayub Khuhro and many more, who had a rural background but were known as great leaders of the country,” he added.
The provincial assembly speaker said that Hakim felt and experienced the agonies of rural life but got recognition as a liberal and democratic leader of the country. Recalling an event from the past, Khuhro said he had arranged a meeting at his residence in Karachi in 1998 against the Kalabagh Dam that was also attended by Shaheed Benazir Bhutto among other nationalist leaders of Sindh and Balochistan. After the meeting, Benazir had participated in a procession at Kamoon Shaheed, a city in Sindh near the Punjab border, as they felt that Kalabagh Dam was against the integrity of Pakistan. Tracing the relationship of Hakim with SMI, SMI College Principal Dr Muhammad Ali Sheikh said the former MNA had a close relationship with the educational institution, as his spouse was the granddaughter of Hassanally Effendi, the founder of SMI.
“This is why whenever we met each other; he seemed well-aware about the state of affairs at SMI and the issues being faced at the institution. He always offered his help for its [SMI] betterment,” added the college principal. Sheikh further said Hakim accepted challenges throughout his life and progressed with dignity, adding that it was necessary to introduce such a personality to the SMI college students by organising this reference. PPP MNA Fauzia Wahab said Hakim was among a few agriculturists of Sindh, who successfully ventured into trade and then joined politics and promoted liberal democratic values in the country. “Now such values are part of life of his offspring,” she added.
Noted journalist Nazir Leghari opined that Hakim was among a few leaders in Sindh’s history, who was bold and never compromised on principles and his social relations never dominated his political relations.
“He [Hakim] was a big landlord but there was no cruelty in his attitude as is the case with other landlords. He was a nationalist and was related with progressive movements but he was not narrow-minded,” he said. When Hasrat Mohani came to Sindh, Hakim Ali Zardari received him at Nawabshah Railway Station and then travelled with him throughout the province; such persons were his friends, said Leghari, adding “but like other big personalities, he [Hakim] was also not understood by anyone.”
Dr Jabbar Khattak was of the view that Hakim was a big name in democratic and progressive moments of the country as he displayed political tolerance and courage, and was against religious extremism. “Such values can be seen in his son Asif Ali Zardari,” he added. Senior journalist GN Mughal said that Hakim was against feudalism while his ideology was liberal and nationalist. Sharmila Farooqi said that the main characteristic of Hakim Ali Zardari was that he worked for the masses and fought against tyrannies with great courage while working against feudalism for the interest of common man.
