MUZAFFARABAD: Thousands of people from all walks of life poured into a big playground in Khuiratta town of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Monday afternoon to pay last respects to Mohammad Matloob Inqilabi, a popular political leader belonging to People’s Party, who had died of a head injury earlier in the day.

Born to a farmer family of district Kotli, 57-years-old Mr Inqilabi, who had earned Masters in Business Administration and law degrees from AJK and Karachi, respectively, had appeared on the political arena from the platform of Peoples Students Federation, an affiliate of the PPP, in eighties, and was regarded as a staunch loyalist of Bhutto family.

In 1995, he was elected as member of the AJK Council, an office he held for two consecutive terms, during which Ms Benazir Bhutto also appointed him as her adviser (in her capacity as chairperson of the council).

In 2011, Mr Inqilabi was elected Member Legislative Assembly from Khuiratta and held a ministerial berth for five years in the PPP government. He was also head of the committee that had drafted recommendations for 13th Amendment to the AJK constitution.

In the last week of October, Mr Inqilabi was affected by Covid-19 following which he went into home isolation over the next month.

On November 27, he fell from the terrace of his house, where he was taking a walk in the evening, onto the floor presumably because of low sugar level and went into a coma.

He was rushed to CMH Rawalpindi, where he was operated upon the next morning, but did not regain consciousness until he died in the small hours of Monday.

His unexpected death shocked people from all spheres of life.

“The news of the sudden death of a decent, balanced, wise and foresighted political leader, as Matlaoob Inqilabi used to be, has greatly shocked me. I offer my condolences to the leaders and workers of the People’s Party and his family…” wrote Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider in an early morning tweet.

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and MNA Faryal Talpur also expressed grief over the demise of Mr Inqilabi and offered their condolences to the bereaved family, according to the party’s verified Twitter handle.

“Late Matloob Inqilabi was a steadfast leader and an asset of the party. His services for Kashmir cause and party are unforgettable,” Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said.

Mr Inqilabi was laid to rest in Khuiratta after funeral prayers were offered inthe town’s stadium, where moving scenes were witnessed.

Prominent among the mourners were AJK President Sardar Masood Khan and AJK ministers Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, Barrister Iftikhar Gillani, Dr Najeeb Naqi, and Chaudhry Aziz.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2020