LAHORE: Jahangir Badar, veteran Pakistan Peoples Party member and former MNA as well as senator, passed away on Sunday night. Here is a brief profile of the deceased PPP leader, who remained loyal to the party from the very first day that he stepped into politics till the day he breathed his last.
Jahangir Badar was always known within and outside political circles as a PPP loyalist, who always stood with the leadership of the party in trying times. Not only that, he was also looked upon as a person who fought for the supremacy of democracy against military dictators.
He pursued a career in politics during his varsity days and was a prominent student leader. Badar was among the first group of students who joined former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto after meeting him in Lahore. However, trouble followed him wherever he went and as a vocal proponent of democracy in the face of dictatorship, he naturally had to deal with arrests and crackdowns.
Jahangir Badar was arrested and tortured in captivity during the eras of General Zia-ul-Haq, Yahya Khan and General (R) Pervez Musharraf. He was an educated man and despite the arrests and harassment, Badar was able to secure MA and LLB educational qualifications.
His loyalty towards Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto did not go unnoticed. Badar was elected to the National Assembly a couple of times and also served as a federal minister, a senator and General-Secretary of the Pakistan Peoples Party, for five years. As a senator, he was a member of the various standing committees in the upper house.
Jahangir Badar passed away on November 13 in Lahore due to cardiac arrest at the age of 72. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed deep grief and sorrow over the demise of Jahangir Badar.
