LAHORE, Dec 14: S.M Masood, a veteran lawyer, founding member of PPP and close aide of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, died here on Friday at the age of 81.

He was admitted to a hospital a few days back with a complaint of chest infection. He was discharged after being recovered, but had to visit the hospital again on Friday morning where he breathed his last.

His funeral prayers will be held on Saturday (today) on 11am at his residence, 404 Shadman Colony. He will be laid to rest in a graveyard of his native city in Gujrat.

He left behind his wife, two sons and a daughter. One of his sons, Shazib, is also an advocate.

S.M Masood had started legal practice in 1958 and later joined the PPP after a few months of its inception. He was elected MPA from a Lahore seat in 1973 and was appointed the provincial law minister.

In 1977, he was elected MNA and got the portfolio of the federal law minister in the cabinet of Z.A Bhutto.

He remained loyal to his leader Bhutto even in the cruel and long martial law of Gen Zia and also endured incarceration for raising voice against the dictatorial regime.

During the first premiership of Benazir Bhutto, Mr Masood was appointed chairman of Peoples Works Programme, a project of the PPP launched for the uplift of the labour class.

He was a man of principles and a committed political activist who never wished for high offices, said Abdul Sattar Najam, an assistant advocate general of the Bhutto era and close associate of Mr Masood.