Former senator Professor Sajid Mir passes away in Lahore

SIALKOT: The Amir of  Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith and former senator Professor Sajid Mir, 87, passed away in Lahore on Saturday, according to media reports.

He had health issues for several years and had undergone spinal surgery and a heart bypass operation in recent years. He breathed his last at a local hospital in the early hours of the morning, according to family sources.

The former senator hailed from a Kashmiri family from Sialkot and was a renowned Islamic scholar and teacher. He completed his higher education in Islamic studies from the University of Punjab.

Before arriving at politics, Prof Mir worked as a teacher in Nigeria before returning to Pakistan in 1985, when he became interested in religious and political activities. He was elected senator for the first time in 1994 on a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) platform and went on to serve many terms in the upper house of parliament.

Prof Mir chaired the Senate Committee on Science and Technology and served on several other Senate committees, including the Rules of Procedure and Privileges, Government Assurances, Overseas Pakistanis, and Human Resource Development.

He was most recently elected to the Senate in 2009, filling a seat allocated for technocrats and ulema.

In February this year, Prof Mir was elected as the Ameer of Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith Pakistan for a record seventh time — a testament to his influence within the religious party and his standing among peers.

The Funeral prayer will be held in Sialkot, according to family sources.