The PPP has suffered a huge loss with the death of its long-time loyalist, Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, who was a businessman by profession, but later managed to carve a significant spot for himself and remained a key player in national politics from central Punjab till he was active despite the presence of heavyweights around him.

Mr Mukhtar had entered politics by default when his elder brother, Ahmed Saeed, the then head of the Servis Group, could not contest the 1990 general elections for having served as the managing director of the Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan during the first stint of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto (1988-90). Mr Saeed then got a PPP ticket for his youngest brother, Ahmed Mukhtar, from the then NA-81 Gujrat against Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

Mukhtar lost his first election, but three years later won against the same opponent and became the federal minister for commerce in the second cabinet of Benazir Bhutto.

Mr Mukhtar and Mr Hussain faced off against each other in five elections between 1990 and 2008 with the PML-Q president winning three of them (1990, 1997 and 2002). In 2013, Mukhtar contested the last election of his life, which he lost against senior PML-Q leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi. Both opponents, though, remained colleagues in the federal cabinet of prime ministers Yousaf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf for a couple of years.

Until the 1970s, the politics of Gujrat had revolved around the local groups of Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi, the century-old Nawabzada family, Murala family of former president Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, the Pagganwala family, Ghulam Rasool Tarrar of Jukalian and Bosal family of Baar Musa, Chaudhry Bahawal Bukhsh -- the pre-Partition lawmaker and grandfather of PPP stalwart Aitzaz Ahsan -- and some others.

However, Mukhtar earned prominence in the politics of Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin soon after entering the field, particularly leading the anti-PML-Q camp for at least two decades. His father, Chaudhry Muhammad Hussain – the founder of the family business, supported former president Fazal Ilahi and former MNA Ghulam Rasool Tarrar in the local politics until his elder son, Ahmed Saeed, joined electoral politics in 1977 and won a provincial assembly seat.

Mr Mukhtar’s strength in politics came from his financially strong and well-connected business family. However, politeness, humility, good listening skills and easy access remained his hallmarks and driving factors in all his political achievements during a career of almost 25 years.

He was made the PPP secretary general by Benazir Bhutto in 1998 and remained a close confidant of former president Asif Ali Zardari, who would informally often refer to him as “seth”.

Mr Mukhtar earned respect in the rank and file of PPP for being committed and loyal to the party through thick and thin despite the fact that his brother Ahmed Saeed became close to former military dictator Pervez Musharraf and under him served as the managing director and chairman of Pakistan International Airlines from 2001 and 2006.

In 2013, the brothers got estranged when Ahmed Saeed joined the PML-N, however they reconciled in 2015.

So firm was Mukhtar in his beliefs that when the National Accountability Bureau had arrested him in 2000 in a corruption reference, he was repeatedly asked by family elders to strike a plea bargain to earn a safe release, but he refused to compromise and remained imprisoned during the Musharraf regime for at least 17 months. He was later acquitted of all charges as the bureau could not prove the cases against him.

He served as the federal minister of commerce, defence, water and power as well as the chairman of PIA during the PPP’s last tenure from 2008 to 2013.

During the campaign for the 2013 polls, Mukhtar’s health had started to deteriorate following which he finally quit politics. Earlier, he had undergone an open heart surgery in mid-2009 in the US.

The PPP loyalist was born on June 22, 1946, and had obtained a Masters of Science in Operational Management from California, US and a Diploma in Plastic Surgery from West Germany.

He was admitted to Lahore’s Shalamar Hospital after complaining of a chest infection around three weeks ago where he passed away around 4am on Wednesday. He is survived by a widow, a son and two daughters.

Analysts believe that the Servis group had been a strong balancing factor in local politics of Gujrat since 1975. But, first the death of Ahmed Saeed two years ago and now Mukhtar’s have created a vacuum in the regional political arena, which might take time to fill.

A large number of PPP workers from Gujrat reached Lahore and attended the funeral prayers of Ahmed Mukhtar, who was laid to rest in his family graveyard.

PPP Gujrat Secretary General Dr Zahid Zaheer, also a friend of the grieved family, told Dawn that the local party chapter would organise a condolence reference for Mukhtar.

BURIAL: Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar who died in the early hours of Wednesday was laid to rest in a DHA graveyard.

Prominent among those who attended his funeral prayers were Chaudhry Manzoor, Hassan Murtaza, Naveed Chaudhry, Aslam Gill, Azizur Rehman Chan, former National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq, former attorney general Irfan Qadir, former minister Imran Masood, MNA Usman Mansoor, Munir Ahmad Khan and others.Former president Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief at Mukhtar’s death and lauded his services for the party.

“Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar was a bold, courageous and loyal companion.”

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also grieved the demise of Mukhtar, saying he was an experienced leader and an asset to the party. He said the party would always miss its loyal lieutenant.

(With additional reporting from Lahore)

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2020

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