KARACHI, April 12: Khalid bin Sayeed, one of Pakistan's most recognised political scientists, died in Canada on Monday, his family said in Karachi. Professor Emeritus of Political Science and adjunct professor of history at Queen's University, Kingston, Canada, he was widely respected in academia for his portrayal of Pakistan's history and evolution. He was 84. Khalid bin Sayeed was born in Hyderabad Deccan. A star pupil and award winning debater at the academically rigorous, Jesuit-run Loyola College, he proceeded to obtain a Masters degree from the London School of Economics and his doctorate from Harvard University. After experiencing the tumult of partition, he shared in the reconstruction of Dacca University.

Defining social justice as the radical redistribution of income and power between the rich and poor classes, Khalid bin Sayeed reminds us that the lot of the common citizen in Pakistan is still plagued with low literacy rates, high population growth, low life expectancy, and even a lack of clean drinking water. He re-iterates: “Another indication of how far this Muslim society is from the ideal of Islamic social justice is the conspicuous consumption and lavish lifestyles of the civil, military, business, and power elites in Pakistan. It has been said that the rich in Pakistan maintain almost as luxurious living styles as their counterparts do in some of the most affluent societies of the world. With some of the poorest people in their midst, India and Pakistan have been vying with each other to maintain high military expenditures and develop their nuclear capabilities.”