MULTAN, Jan 25: Noted politician Syed Hamid Raza Gillani was laid to rest here on Sunday at Hamidpur Kanora village. He had died at a hospital in Lahore on Saturday due to renal failure after a bypass surgery conducted a few days ago to improve his ailing heart. He was 67.

His funeral prayer was offered at the Nishter Medical College and Hospital ground. Nizam-i-Mustafa Party chief Allama Hamid Saeed Kazmi led the funeral prayers attended by people from all walks of life, including federal and provincial ministers, legislators, government officials and politicians.

Being scion of the famous feudal Gillani family of Multan, electoral politics was the ultimate destination of Hamid Raza after completing his studies from the traditional Chiefs' College and abroad.

He first returned to the national assembly in 1962 on the ticket of Convention League sponsored by the then military dictator Ayub Khan. He was again elected MNA on the League ticket in 1965.

It was said that he enjoyed very intimate relations with Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto even though when latter announced revolt against their common patron Gen Ayub Khan. When ZAB came into power he made Gillani the ambassador in Kenya.

Gillani fought the controversial general elections of 1977 on the PPP ticket and returned as MNA. He also held portfolio of a federal minister for a short stint before Gen Ziaul Haq imposed martial law in July 1977.

He again returned MNA in the 1985 partyless general elections held under the umbrella of Zia regime. Though, he lost electoral bout in 1990, he was elected as senator on PML-N ticket. His last assignment was the management board chairman of the NMC&H.

In his golden days up to mid 1990s, he was considered the godfather of local politics in Multan and adjoining districts of Khanewal, Lodhran and Vehari. He is survived by a son and four daughters. He was the uncle of former speaker and PPP vice-chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani.