KARACHI, April 8, 2025: Senator Taj Haider, a veteran leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and a prominent progressive intellectual, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 83. According to family sources, he had been under treatment at a local hospital in Karachi for several days.
A sitting senator, Haider was re-elected to the Senate of Pakistan in 2021 for a term running through March 2027. He served as the general secretary of the PPP since 2010 and was one of the party’s founding members, playing a key role in shaping its ideological direction over decades.
Born on March 9, 1942, Haider was a mathematician, scientist, playwright, and Marxist intellectual, widely respected for his multifaceted contributions to politics, science, and culture. He played an important part in the early stages of Pakistan’s nuclear development program during the 1970s.
He also gained national recognition for his politically charged television plays on Pakistan Television (PTV), written between 1979 and 1985 — a time when censorship was high, and dissent was rare.
Senator Haider leaves behind a lasting legacy as a staunch progressive voice, an advocate of social justice, and a key figure in Pakistan’s democratic journey.
