A tribute to Jahangir Badar

Former Secretary General of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) who had died on Sunday, belonged to the generation of dedicated, committed class of political workers, who not only faced prison and flogging but also got a reward from the leadership. Perhaps, age and illness did not allow him to fulfill his last assignment of grooming young Bilawal Bhutto.

No political party in Pakistan, has produced so many workers who went to the gallows, saying, 'Jeay Bhutto,' got flogged, faced prison from military courts, suffered worst kind of torture and also burnt themselves in a bid to save the life of their leader. PPP which today is fighting for its survival as a national party, has a long list of such workers and former Secretary General of PPP Jahangir Badar, who died on Sunday, was one of them.

Family legacies in politics have never been regarded as a healthy sign but in case of PPP, at least till Benazir Bhutto, it was the leadership which led from the front and the first one who sacrificed, from Bhutto to Benazir. Perhaps, that is one of the reasons PPP, was more of a romance than a party in the last 49 years. The romance faded out with the assassination of Benazir Bhutto on December 27th, 2007. It is a challenge for young Bilawal Bhutto to revive the party which had produced thousands of workers like Jahangir Badar, but, for which party had to change its political dynamics.

Late Badar, belonged to a generation of those political workers who from the days of his student life, worked and struggled for progressive ideas. When he was made President of PPP Punjab, he had already faced prison and flogging.

 PPP's most committed, highly emotional and organised working class emerged after 1977 Martial Law, between July 1977 to 1986. While Bhutto, during his last days in prison admitted his mistake of losing leaders like late J.A.Rahim, Meraj Mohammad Khan, Dr Mubashir Hasan, he still had leaders like late Sheikh Rasheed, late Sheikh Rafiq, late Meraj Khalid, late Dr Ghulam Hussain and the then young leader Jahangir Badar.

Importantly, all this committed breed was from Punjab, which itself reflected how Bhutto had worked in Punjab, which in later years the party lost due to its mistakes.

It has never been easy for progressive student groups to politically survive in Punjab University, due to stronghold of the right wing student group, but, Badar also faced their 'muscle power,' and also contested student union elections.

 His real political skill emerged during General Zia's Martial Law. He was a key party leader, who along with other party leaders from Punjab, organised a mammoth political reception on the return of Benazir Bhutto from exile on April 10th, 1986.

It was also during Badar's period in 1987, when for the first time PPP held elections in Punjab and thousands participated in those 'intra party' polls. Later, Benazir made him the party's Secretary General.

Badar was very inspired with the dedication of Begum Nusrat Bhutto and was disappointed when she was sidelined by Benazir. He was not in favor of such intra family revolt.

His second disappointment came during 'ticket distribution' in Punjab. He had opposed Benazir’s decision to accept Hussain Haqqani in the party, because of his hate for Bhutto, during his student days and also in 1988 elections.

Badar become controversial during his days at the ministry, and I believe that if he had not accepted the ministry or had been given more responsibility to organize the party, he perhaps, would have been more successful.

PPP lost some of its good committed political leaders and workers due to change in its politics and policies even at the time of Benazir Bhutto.

If Bhutto regretted loss of party's ideologue, Benazir brought new changes to reduce radicalization in the part, disband Al-Zulfiqar.   

PPP remained a romance for those of its workers like Jahangir Badar, who often romanticize Bhutto's personality and his days in prison. " When your own Chairman, speaks from the gallows or death cell, it gave you extra energy and motivation. Bhutto sahib had that rare quality, which none of the leaders of other parties had,' Badar once told me.   

 Late Jahangir Badar, who faced prison from military court and 10 lashes, which were also carried under General Ziaul Haq's Martial Law, was among the few about whom late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, had such high regards that during his prison he once told late Begum Bhutto, that Badar is a party asset and she should take good care of him.

"Bhutto Sahib, had given me the list and termed them an asset for the party. Begum Bhutto and I were told to treat them with special care. These include names like Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad (Baba-e-socialism) and Jahangir Badar,' Benazir Bhutto once told me in an interview on the eve of PPP's silver jubilee.

 According to former PPP President Karachi, Masroor Ahsan, who himself faced tough prison at Shahi Qila, and is now neglected by the party, "Badar and late Qamar Abbas of PPP Peshawar were the only two party workers who were asked by Benazir to stay at 70 Clifton, after they were released from prison and looked after the party's organisation.”

Badar was completely broken after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and although, he was asked by former President, Asif Ali Zardari to politically groom Bilawal Bhutto, he once told me that he had lost interest in politics after the assassination of Benazir. " It took us years to recover from the death of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, but the way BB fought gave us new life in politics. There is nothing left after her.”       

At a time when Bilawal Bhutto and PPP are fighting for its survival as a national party and is trying to ente Punjab, the party would miss someone like Jahangir Badar. He must also be given credit for doing an in-depth research on Benazir Bhutto and her struggle.

—The writer is the senior columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang.