Taj Haider, SI (; 8 March 1942 – 8 April 2025) was a Pakistani left-wing politician,

nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

, playwright, mathematician, versatile scholar and

Marxist Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...

intellectual. He was one of the founding members of

Pakistan People's Party The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is a political party in Pakistan and one of the three major Pakistani political parties alongside the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. With a centre-left political position, it is cu ...

(PPP) and was the general-secretary of the PPP from 2023 to 2025 after the office was vacated by Nayyar Hussain Bukhari. A mathematician and scientist by profession, Haider provided vital leadership in the formative years of clandestine atomic bomb projects in the 1970s. He was also noted for his writing of political plays for the

Pakistan Television Pakistan Television Corporation (; reporting name: PTV); also known as ''Pakistan Television'', is the Pakistani state-owned broadcasting, broadcaster founded by the Government of Pakistan, operating under the Ministry of Information & Broadc ...

(PTV) from 1979 to 1985.

Biography

Education

Haider was born on 8 March 1942 in Kotah,

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

, British India. His family migrated to the

Dominion of Pakistan The Dominion of Pakistan, officially Pakistan, was an independent federal dominion in the British Commonwealth of Nations, which existed from 14 August 1947 to Pakistan Day, 23 March 1956. It was created by the passing of the Indian Independence ...

following the partition of India in 1947. After graduating from a local high school, Haider ultimately enrolled in

Karachi University The University of Karachi (; informally Karachi University, KU, or UoK) is a public research university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in June 1951 by an act of Parliament and as a successor to the University of Sindh (which is ...

in 1959. He studied mathematics at the Karachi University and graduated with a BSc (hons) in Mathematics in 1962. In 1965, he earned his MSc in mathematics from the same institution and opted to teach mathematics at the local college, later moving to Karachi University. During his career at the Karachi University, Haider primarily taught and focused on the ordinary differential equations and topics in

multivariable calculus Multivariable calculus (also known as multivariate calculus) is the extension of calculus in one variable to calculus with functions of several variables: the differentiation and integration of functions involving multiple variables ('' mult ...

PPP and political activism

During the attendance of 1967 socialist convention, Haider was one of the founding members of the

Pakistan Peoples Party The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is a political party in Pakistan and one of the three major List of political parties in Pakistan, Pakistani political parties alongside the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. With a Cent ...

(PPP) and committed himself as a vehement supporter of change by left-oriented philosophy of

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979) was a Pakistani barrister and politician who served as the fourth president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and later as the ninth Prime Minister of Pakistan, prime minister of Pakistan from 19 ...

. In the 1970s, he played a vital role in formulating the public policy concerning the atomic bomb projects. On multiple occasions, he provided his expertise on taking moral stance on

nuclear weapon A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear exp ...

s initiatives at the diplomatic conventions. On nuclear weapons development, Haider stated that "there was a need to aggressively project the peaceful intent of Pakistan's atomic bomb program." Haider disassociated himself from the politics but remained member of Pakistan Mathematical Society and shifted towards writing political dramas at the

(PTV) in 1979. The PTV aired various political dramas written by Haider until 1985 when he renewed his association with PPP. In 1990–2000, he contributed to PPP-initiated industrial projects such as the establishment of Heavy Mechanical Complex (HMC), Hub Dam and various other social programmes. He was elected to the

Senate of Pakistan The Senate of Pakistan, Constitution of Pakistan, constitutionally the House of the Federation, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan. As of 2023, It has a maximum membership of 96, of which 92 are elected by the Member of th ...

in 1995. In 2001, Haider returned to his literary activities after rejoining the PTV, and penned two political drama serials for the PTV which were aired in 2003. In 2004, he returned to politics in opposition to

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan () is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The president is the nominal head of the executive and the supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

Pervez Musharraf Pervez Musharraf (11 August 1943 – 5 February 2023) was a Pakistani general and politician who served as the tenth president of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008. Prior to his career in politics, he was a four-star general and appointed as ...

over the issue of

nuclear proliferation Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons to additional countries, particularly those not recognized as List of states with nuclear weapons, nuclear-weapon states by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonl ...

. He bitterly criticised the United States over the sanctions of KRL and was one of the noted politicians expressing the discontent with the US, along with Raza Rabbani in 2004. About the nuclear proliferation case, Haider defended the case of

Abdul Qadeer Khan Abdul Qadeer Khan (1 April 1936 – 10 October 2021) was a Pakistani Nuclear physics, nuclear physicist and metallurgist, metallurgical engineer. He is colloquially known as the "father of Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction, Pakistan's ...

in the public and condemned the Information minister, Rashid Ahmad's statement of acquitting former Prime minister

Benazir Bhutto Benazir Bhutto (21 June 1953 – 27 December 2007) was a Pakistani politician who served as the 11th prime minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990, and again from 1993 to 1996. She was also the first woman elected to head a democratic governmen ...

in the nuclear proliferation case. Ultimately, he called for a parliamentary inquiry on that issue, and questioned the involvement of

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

General

in the proliferation case. In 2006, Haider was awarded PTV Awards for Best Playwright Serial award, which he received in a televised ceremony.

Writing and philosophy

Haider extensively wrote on nuclear policy issues, left-wing ideas, literary and political philosophy. His more recent writings had included the support of

social democracy Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...

in the country and power of balance in each state institution. In literary and political circles, he wrote critic articles against the

military dictatorship A military dictatorship, or a military regime, is a type of dictatorship in which Power (social and political), power is held by one or more military officers. Military dictatorships are led by either a single military dictator, known as a Polit ...

, specifically policies enforced by the conservative

General Zia-ul-Haq throughout the 1980s. Haider opposed the ethnically based politics of the leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement or MQM, Altaf Hussain based in

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

by reportedly stating on one occasion, "We were not Mohajirs but Urdu-speaking citizens of this province and this country. Our mother-tongue was the official and national language of Pakistan and it would be wrong and degrading to consider ourselves as lesser citizens or Mohajirs.

Death

Haider was admitted to the intensive care unit at Ziauddin Hospital in Karachi whilst battling cancer. He died on 8 April 2025, at the age of 83.

Honours and awards

Sitara-e-Imtiaz The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially meritorious contribution to the ...

(Star of Excellence) Award by the

(2013). * 13th PTV Awards for Best Playwright Serial award (2006) ;Selected articles: *Haider, Taj. "CTBT Security Perspectives" ''Dawn'' Newspapers, 27 March 2000. *Haider, Taj. "Setting the PPP record straight", ''Express Tribune'' 2013. *Haider, Taj. "Why the PPP is boycotting the presidential election", 16 July 2013 ;Television plays * ''Jinhein Raaste Main Khabar Hui'' * ''Lab-e-Darya''

References

External links

Pakistan Peoples Party
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haider, Taj 1942 births 2025 deaths People from Kota, Rajasthan Politicians from Karachi Pakistani people of Rajasthani descent University of Karachi alumni Pakistani mathematicians Pakistani scientists Pakistan People's Party politicians Pakistani television directors Academic staff of the University of Karachi Pakistani socialists Government of Benazir Bhutto staffers and personnel Pakistani political writers Pakistani media personalities Pakistani Marxists Muhajir people Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz Pakistani philosophers Pakistani television writers Pakistani dramatists and playwrights Pakistani anti-war activists Pakistani anti–Iraq War activists Pakistani senators (14th Parliament) Muslim socialists PTV Award winners Indian emigrants to Pakistan Deaths from cancer in Pakistan