ABBOTTABAD: Veteran politician and chief of Tehrik-e-Sooba Hazara, Sardar Haider Zaman died after prolonged illness at a private hospital in Islamabad on Wednesday. He was 82.
His funeral prayer will be offered at his native village Dewal Manal near Havelian in Abbottabad district today at 2pm. Commonly known as Baba due to his advanced age, the elderly Sardar Haider Zaman remained in politics for over five decades.
He started his political career by contesting the local government election under the basic democracy system introduced by President Field Marshal Ayub Khan. He was the candidate of the ticket of Pakistan Muslim League at the time and remained a Muslim Leaguer for most part of his life. .
Haider Zaman served as a provincial minister in the cabinet of former chief minister Aftab Ahmad Sherpao. He served as chairman District Council Abbottabad, chairman District Development Advisory Committee and District Nazim Abbottabad.
Baba Haider Zaman was a steadfast proponent for Hazara province that was to be carved out from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. His movement for a separate province gained momentum after renaming of former NWFP as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2010.