MIANWALI - Former law minister and renowned politician Dr Sher Afgan Khan Niazi passed away after a prolonged illness here on Thursday. He was 62.
The veteran politician had been diagnosed with liver cancer six months ago and was under treatment at a private hospital for past three months. On last Thursday, his condition deteriorated and he went into a coma. He is survived by a son and two daughters.
Born on January 1, 1946, in the famous Pashtun tribe of Niazi in Mianwali district, Dr Sher Afgan, a medical practitioner by profession, did his MBBS in 1968 from Nishtar Medical College, Multan. He served as the minister of parliamentary affairs, and remained a member of the Mianwali District Council from 1979 to 1986.
Famous for memorising all the articles of the Constitution, Dr Niazi also remained federal minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs; human rights; social welfare and special education from 1993 to 1996 after being elected as MNA from 1985 to 1987, 1988 to 1990.
He was elected to the National Assembly in 2002 as a member of the Pakistan People’s Party (Parliamentarians), but later shifted his loyalty to become PPPP (Patriot), and then joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid.
Niazi also remained part of retired general Musharraf’s All-Pakistan Muslim League (APML), but resigned over differences with the leadership later on.
In 2007, Dr Niazi helped the then president, Musharraf, to oust, detain and then replace the judges of the Supreme Court. He had also supported Musharraf regime’s military operation on Lal Masjid, Islamabad.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Raja Pervaizz Ashraf, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, PTI chairman Imran Khan, ANP President Asfandyar Wali, JUI-F leader Mualana Fazlur Rehman and MQM chief Altaf Hussain have expressed profound grief over the demise of the renowned politician. They lauded his services for national politics, praying that may Allah Almighty rest the departed soul in eternal peace.
In his condolence message, the president lauded the late politician for his role in national politics, spanning over decades. He prayed to Allah Almighty to grant courage to the bereaved family members to bear this irreparable loss with equanimity.
Prime Minister Ashraf, in a message, described Dr Niazi as a seasoned politician and offered condolences to the bereaved family over the sad demise.