Karachi: Iqbal Haider, a staunch democrat and human right activist, prominent lawyer and former law minister of Pakistan, died on Sunday bafter prolonged suffering from lung disease.
Haider was a close aide of slain leader and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
He was 67 and leaves behind his wife, two daughters, a son.
Haider was born in Agra, India, in 1945 and his family migrated to Pakistan after independence, two years after he was born. He graduated in economics and later on studied law and graduated from Punjab University. He also studied at Lincolns Inn, London.
On his return to Pakistan he started practising law.
During the military rule of general Zia ul Haq, he joined an anti martial law movement, Movement Against Restoration of Democracy (MRD). He was arrested several times and put in jail under the Haq junta.
In 1988 Haider joined Pakistan Peoples Party and soon became a confidant of Bhutto. He was elected a member of the senate, the upper house of the parliament, and served as a federal law minister. He also remained attorney general of the country.
In 2005 Haider quit the PPP and played a more active role as a human right activist. He was elected chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
He visited India many times as part of the back-door diplomacy between the two countries.
President Asif Ali Zardari in his condolence message said that Haider’s sacrifices for the cause of democracy were unforgettable. Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf also offered his condolence and said that Haider’s death was a great shock for human rights organisations.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Altaf Hussain in his message said that all the members of his party were grieved and offered their heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family.
Other political leaders and prominent personalities also offered their condolences.
