ISLAMABAD: PML-N leader Siddiqul Farooq,78, was described as a man of principles who stayed with the party through thick and thin before succumbing to a kidney ailment last week.

His dedication to merit and fair play displeased many, but it did not bother him. However, this commitment gradually pushed him into the bad books of many, according to his friends and family who spoke to Dawn about the recent death of the PML-N leader.

Former senator Farhatullah Babar said that he had known Siddiqul Farooq since the 1990s when they respectively worked in the media cells of the PPP and the PML-N.

“Siddiqul Farooq was the spokesperson for Mian Nawaz Sharif, and I was the spokesperson for Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. That was a decade before the Charter of Democracy was signed in London. Then the two parties were bitter political rivals undercutting each other and taking turns for crumbs of power with the help of ambitious generals who were more than eager to play parties against one another to retain their preeminence in state and society. A clash with Siddiqul Farooq on media platforms in seminars and in meetings was thus unavoidable. Yet there was a relationship of mutual respect despite intense political rivalry,” he said.

Family, friends describe the deceased a fearless, loyal party leader

“During Musharraf’s days, he faced a rough time at the hands of NAB. In a statement before the Supreme Court, the NAB Prosecutor General admitted that it had indeed arrested Siddiqul Farooq and ‘dumped him somewhere and forgotten.’ I issued a statement condemning the NAB. After his release, he came to my office to thank me. We have been meeting occasionally in social events thereafter. Our common subject of talk normally revolved around the ambitious generals playing politics and undermining the fabric of state and society. I think in his revulsion of the establishment delving into politics, he was sincere and genuine than many leaders in the PML-N that I know of,” he said. Mr Babar said that his last encounter with him was a few weeks before he died.

PML-N’s parliamentary leader in the Senate Irfan Siddiqui, in his comments, said that the deceased was a courageous and committed person. “He bravely fought against dictatorship and refused to turn against Nawaz Sharif, even in the most difficult circumstances,” he said.

A journalist, Ayub Nasir, said that Siddiqul Farooq was one of only a few people who belonged to the middle class and then became part of the ruling elite but remained humble.

“I know that he faced a very difficult time during Musharraf’s tenure. At that time Nawaz Sharif was arrested and then went into exile. Siddiqul Farooq used to fight Nawaz Sharif’s case in Islamabad. At that time, he wanted to open the party office of PML-N, but no one was ready to give him an office in the city because of fear of Gen. Musharraf. Finally, he established it in a house located in Sector F-10,” he said.

Siddiqul Farooq’s brother Azhar Malik said his brother was honest, fearless, and of impeccable character, towering above many of his peers. “The deceased made more enemies than friends in the party and power circles because of these traits, especially when he was chairman of the House Building and Finance Corporation (HBFC) and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB),” he said.

Mentioning an incident testifying to his honesty and strength of character, he said during his tenure as the chairman of ETPB, a party heavyweight assigned him three tasks, directing him to ensure compliance.

“Siddiqul Farooq accomplished only one task strictly on merit and plainly refused to do the other two (tasks) being without merit. The person who assigned him the job had no option but to agree with him. During his tenure as chairman of HBFC, so many people tried to bribe him for loans, but he refused…,” he said. He always reached his office on time, and he even issued a show cause to his brother for being late. The mother rose to the younger brother’s defence, but he did not entertain.

Azhar Malik said that his brother’s tenure as the ETPB chairman was the most challenging one during which he resisted many attempts to lease precious plots and buildings to those close to the powers that be. Though he was not removed from the office, he slowly got into the black books of many.

“During his tenure as the chairman of HFBFC, when he was abducted and ‘dumped’ in Karachi, the Musharraf regime tried to buy his loyalty, but he refused and suffered a lot at the hands of his captors for over two years. He was sincerely committed to only Nawaz Sharif and nobody else, and he fearlessly defended Nawaz Sharif and the party when so many party leaders had either sewn up their lips or gone underground,” he said.

It is worth mentioning that Siddiqul Farooq passed away on December 15 after a protracted illness. He was suffering from kidney-related complications and renal failure was the cause of the death.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2024