ISLAMABAD: Retired Brigadier Niaz Ahmed died at the age of 80 on Friday.

Mr Ahmed played a very active role in negotiations between General Pervez Musharraf and Nawaz Sharif while the latter was in exile.

Mr Ahmed had to leave the army after refusing to open fire on the workers of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), who were protesting against the military ruler Ziaul Haq, in 1977.

Ammar Masood, the son-in-law of the deceased, said: “Though there are a number of good things on the credit of my father-in-law, I believe that the way he brought up his visually impaired daughter Saima Ammar was a great job,” he said.

“The death of my wife (Saima Ammar) in 2011 upset Brigadier Ahmed and for the last six months he had been in a coma,” he said.

Mr Ahmed is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. The funeral will be held at H-11 graveyard at 5:45pm on Saturday,” he said.

Meanwhile, former president Pervez Musharraf, in a condolence message,expressed his profound grief over the demise of Mr Ahmed and termed it a great loss.

Published in Dawn, Aug 2nd , 2014