Former law minister and human rights activist Iqbal Haider passed away on Sunday at a local hospital after suffering from ailing lungs. His funeral prayer will be offered after Zuhr (afternoon) prayer on Monday at Imambargah Yasrub in Defence Housing Society (DHA) Phase IV, Karachi. Iqbal Haider was born on January 14, 1945. He obtained his BA and LLB degrees from the Punjab University. Later, he joined the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in 1988 and soon became a close associate of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. He was elected as senator in 1991 and later became the federal law minister in 1993-1994. He also served as the attorney general of Pakistan. However, he disassociated himself from the PPP in 2005 and started working for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), where he rose to the position of co-chairman. Haider was a leading figure in the Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD) and was jailed several times during 1981-1986.
Iqbal Haider had migrated to Pakistan from Agra, India. He received his early education and bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the Government College of Commerce and Economics in 1964. He read law at the Punjab University Law College, Lahore, from where he graduated with an LLB in 1966. In 1967, Haider went to read law in England at the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, where he became the Vice- president of the Students Union of Lincoln’s Inn.
He was a founding member of the Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD). He was the central acting convener, acting central secretary general and acting joint secretary of the MRD. He joined the PPP where he was appointed as advisor to the Sindh chief minister from January 1989 to February 1990. He was elected as a senator in March 1991. He was the president of the PPP-Karachi Division, vice president of the PPP-Sindh chapter, and member of the PPP Central Executive Committee. He was a member of the Senate Standing Committees on Human Rights, Defence, Defence Production and Aviation, Information and Broadcasting, Culture, Sports, Tourism, Women’s Development, Youth Affairs, and the Functional Committee on Human Rights. He was a passionate activist of human rights, and worked for the victims of honour killing, karo-kari, bonded labour, and missing persons. He sat on the Senate Committee on Human Rights, and was one of the founding members of the HRCP and continued to pursue human rights causes in Pakistan.
President, PM, political leaders condole veteran human rights activist’s death
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf expressed their grief and sorrow over the death of human rights activist and former law minister Iqbal Haider on Sunday, as condolences kept pouring in from various political and international figures. In their separate messages‚ the president and the prime minister lauded his services for the cause of democracy and human rights in the country. They prayed for the departed soul’s peace and condoled the bereaved family over the loss. Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif also condoled over Iqbal Haider’s death. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain also expressed sympathy with the deceased’s family, saying all MQM office-bearers and workers shared their grief and sorrow. National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza also offered condolence and prayed to Allah for the departed soul’s rest. Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Syed Munawwar Hassan, former MNA Muzaffar Hashmi and others also sent condolence messages.
