City Council mourns deaths of Taj Haider, Prof Khurshid, UC chairman Amir Bhutto

A meeting of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) City Council was held under the chairmanship of Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Monday. Karachi Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad and Municipal Commissioner Afzal Zaidi were also present on the occasion.

During the session, a condolence resolution was presented over the martyrdom of union committee (UC) chairman Muhammad Amir Bhutto, who was killed by terrorists last Thursday in Gulshan-e-Zia, Orangi Town. Muhammad Juman Darwan, Javed Sheikh, Musarrat Niazi and Dil Muhammad jointly submitted a resolution to mourn the passing of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Secretary General Senator Taj Haider. Saifuddin Advocate, Afaq Baig, Hafiz Usama, and Khoraj Muhammad moved another resolution regarding Senator Haider's demise.

Additionally, Saifuddin Advocate and Taimur Ahmed presented a condolence resolution on the passing of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Professor Khurshid Ahmad. All four resolutions were unanimously passed.

City Council members Imran Shah, Saifuddin Advocate, Juman Darwan, Hafiz Usama, Maqbool Ahmed, Musarrat Niazi, Muhammad Wasim Mirza and Basheer Khaskheli addressed the session. They urged the Sindh inspector general of police and law enforcement agencies to immediately arrest Bhutto’s killers and bring them to justice to prevent further loss of innocent lives.

The speakers paid tribute to the late Bhutto, describing him as a compassionate, well-mannered and devoted PPP leader who served the people of his area without discrimination. The council strongly condemned his killing and expressed solidarity with his family.

The session expressed profound sorrow over Senator Haider's demise and recognised his lifelong contributions. It noted that Senator Haider had been associated with the PPP since 1967. He was not only a seasoned politician but also a writer, playwright and professor of mathematics. He wrote for PTV and various newspapers and was awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan for his services.

Condolences were also expressed on the passing of Prof Ahmed, with members acknowledging the significant void his death had left in the intellectual and academic spheres. It was said that Prof Ahmed was active in Islamic scholarship since his student days, having served as the head of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba. He also served as a senator for 18 years, and was an economist. He held key roles as a federal minister and deputy chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan.

He authored numerous books in Urdu and English and was recognised internationally as a pioneering economist. He founded the Islamic Foundation in the UK, taught at the University of Karachi from 1955 to 1968, served on Sudan’s Islamic law implementation committee, and was associated with the Islamic Development Bank’s Research and Training Institute in Jeddah. Prayers were offered for the departed souls of all three individuals. In line with the KMC tradition, the session was adjourned indefinitely.