Presently leader of the house in Senate, Jahangir Badar became involved in politics as a student. He was elected president of the students union during his varsity days in Lahore. As a young man, he also met Pakistan Peoples Party's Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and was among the first group of students to join and support the PPP leader.He also courted arrest during the governments of Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and was detained a number of times by the ZiaulHaq regime. More recently, he was detained in the government of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, mostly on account of his political affiliations and activities.

Despite his political engagements and continual arrests, he managed to obtain the degrees of MA and LLB. Considered a die-hard loyalist, Badar worked for PPP in various capacities and positions and recently served as the party’s central secretary general.

He was elected both to the National Assembly as well as the Senate in different elections. Moreover, he also served as a federal minister in the governments of former premier Benazir Bhutto. As a Senator, Badar has served on various standing committees of the upper house and has been consistent in relaying his party’s message in the Parliament.

Badar’s name was among the beneficiaries of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) and accountability courts summoned him once the Supreme Court declared NRO as void. His name also came up in the case relating to former Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) chief Tauqir Sadiq. The former Ogra chairman, accused of having caused a loss of Rs83 billion to the national exchequer, is said to be a close relative of the PPP stalwart and Badar is suspected of obstructing investigations in order to protect Sadiq.

— Research and text by Saher Baloch