IN the death of Mairaj Mohammad Khan, another politician who was a man of character, and who stood by his principles and moral has left us.

He leaves behind the long story of his struggle spanning more than five decades for the downtrodden people of Pakistan, for democracy, for rule of law and for the rights of the people.

Throughout his life, and beginning as a student, he raised his voice against the injustice prevailing in the country and was never cowed by the rulers of the day. His only motive in life was to speak the truth.

He started his political career with the National Students Federation and was among the founding fathers of Z.A. Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party. He was appointed minister for manpower in 1971 in ZAB’s cabinet but soon resigned over principles in 1973. It was during this period when he was a federal minister that I saw him and met him as a schoolboy.

It was in a photographer’s studio at a Rawalpindi hotel. Mr Khan was attired in a simple shalwar kameez. A few minutes later a friend of his came in and shook hands with him warmly and asked him whether he had moved his family to Islamabad.

He replied in the negative and added humorously, “who knows when I will be out of a job and behind bars. Let the family stay in Karachi. This way dal roti will be assured from your bhabi’s salary.” This was Mairaj Mohammad Khan.

A man who was extremely close to Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and said to be his right-hand man resigned over difference of opinion. People like Mr Khan are no more found in Pakistan.

Aamir Aqil

Lahore

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2016