Iqbal Haider remembered in London

LONDON: Pakistanis from various walks of life came together in life at a condolence reference in the memory of human rights activist and former law minister Syed Iqbal Haider.
The reference was organised by veteran Pakistani lawyer Barrister Sibghat Kadri. Speakers shared their memories of knowing Iqbal Haider and mourned his loss to Pakistan’s progressive and democratic cause.
Haider, who died last week due to lung ailment and heart failure, was a close associate of the late Benazir Bhutto but became disillusioned with the direction of the party and quit it, rather than hanging on for the sake of perks and spoils of the office.
Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner to the UK Syed Zulfikar Gardezi recalled how he met Iqbal Haider while he was visiting New Delhi for a conference and was told about the plight of Pakistani fishermen suffering in Indian prisons without recourse to justice.
MQM coordination committee member Muhammad Anwar said that Hiader was a critic of the MQM but Altaf Hussain and the MQM “admired” him and his work. “He was not simply a lawyer and politician but he was a great defender of human rights and he cherished fighting for human rights. He served the nation admirably and his death is an irreparable loss for Pakistan. The vacuum he has left cannot be fulfilled but we can work together to promote his legacy for a better Pakistan,” he said.
Iqbal Haider’s niece Lubna Rafiq said Haider was known as a personal figure to all but to his family he was a beloved relative who “lighted up family gathering through his wit and warmth”.“His death is a personal loss to us. We have lost an admirable family member.”
Other speakers said Haider was a brave soul and he died at a time when Pakistan needed him more than at any other time.They said when leading Pakistan People’s Party in Karachi, Haider championed the cause of the downtrodden. They said he could have amassed wealth for his person but he remained a clean man and devoted his efforts to help resolve the problems of PPP, not only in Karachi but all over Pakistan.
They said Haider was one of those few people who had warned about the dangers of appeasing extremists a long time ago and remained opposed to the influence of religious extremists and sectarianism. They said the most graceful tribute to Haider would be to continue his mission.