QUETTA, Oct 9: Babu Abdur Rehman Kurd, vice-president of the Awami National Party (ANP), passed away on Thursday in Karachi after a prolonged illness. He was over 75.

He leaves behind his sons Aslam Kurd, Dr Saleem Kurd, Abdul Salam Kurd, Haji Nasim Kurd, Saeed Kurd and Zafar Kurd and three brothers Haji Abdul Hameed Kurd, Mir Murad Kurd and Mohim Khan Kurd.

Abdur Rehman Kurd also known as Babu joined politics during his student life and remained an active member of the Kalat National Party prior to the partition.

When the National Awami Party was formed following the merger of the Pakistan National Party and Awami League (Maulana Bhashani faction), he joined the party and struggled against the British colonial rule over Balochistan.

He was jailed during the Ayub and Bhutto regimes for his struggle against the governments.

When the Bhutto government outlawed the National Awami Party and the Supreme Court upheld the decision, Abdur Rehman joined the National Democratic Party under the leadership of Sardar Sherbaz Mazari and Begum Nasim Wali Khan.

He will be buried in his village at Dasht, outskirts of Quetta, on Friday morning.