Progressive politician Mukhtar Bacha laid to rest

DAGGAR: Senior progressive politician and former provincial president of the National Party, Mukhtar Bacha, was laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard here on Friday.

The veteran nationalist leader had passed away in Peshawar a day before at the age of 80.His body was shifted to his native village, Bacha Killay, at Pir Baba in Buner district. The funeral prayers were offered at the Shaheedano Janazagah.

People from different walks of life attended the last funeral rites of the deceased who struggled throughout his life for democracy, the rule of law and human rights.Muhtar Bacha was born in Pir Baba village on Feb 25, 1944. He received early education in his native town, did a BSc in Botany from the University of Karachi in 1965 and completed MSc from the University of Peshawar.

He taught as a science teacher at his village school for some time and later joined the Agriculture Research Station, Tarnab Farms, Peshawar, as an agriculture officer.

Mukhtar Bacha joined the Communist Party of the province, then called NWFP province as its first secretary.Having progressive thoughts, he was among the founders of the Pakistan National Party and Qaumi Inqilabi Party. He served as the NP KP president till 2017 and was a member of the party’s central committee at the time of death.

Meanwhile, National Party President Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, Secretary General Jan Muhammad Buledi and other leaders of the party paid rich tributes to Mukhtar Bacha for his services to democracy.