Renowned politician and leftist leader Jam Saqi passes away

A renowned rights activist, social worker and political leader, Jam Saqi, passed away from a protracted illness on Monday. He was 73.

His funeral prayers will be held in Naseem Nagar, Hyderabad at 3pm.

Senior journalist Hamid Mir, among others, posted a tribute to the activist and politician on Twitter. 

Mir shared a picture of when slain prime minister and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Benazir Bhutto appeared as a witness in a military court case against Jam Saqi in Hyderabad.  

Jam Mohammad was born on October 31, 1944 in Tharparkar. He remained the president of the Sindh National Students Federation in the 1960s. Jam Saqi is remembered as the leading advocate against the one-unit formula.

In the 1970s, he became a member of Comrade Haider Baksh Jatoi’s Sindh Hari Committee and was joint secretary of the National Awami Party.

Afterward, he joined the Communist Party of Pakistan and became its secretary general. 

He remained detained during the General Ziaul Haq government for eight years on charges of treason. In his political career, he spent around 15 years behind bars in total.

Jam Saqi left the communist party in 1991 and joined the Pakistan Peoples Party in 1993. He authored seven books.

He married twice and has left behind six bereaved family members.