A prominent practicing lawyer by training and profession, Sayed lqbal Haider was born on 14 January, 1945 in Agra in prepartitioned India. He migrated to Pakistan with his family and got his early education in Karachi. He earned Bachelor''s degree in Commerce from Government College of Commerce and Economics, Karachi in 1964, and thereafter did his LLB from the Punjab University Law College, Lahore in 1966. Sayed lqbal Haider is in the Law profession since June 1967 when he was first enrolled as an advocate for the subordinate courts. He has been practising law in different courts of the country, including High Courts, since 1972'' and Supreme Court of Pakistan wherein he was enrolled in 1978. In 1967, Sayed lqbal Haider went to England for higher studies in Law and was admitted in the Honourable Society of the Lincoln''s Inn. As a student, he was Secretary of the Debating Society of the Punjab University Law College, Lahore, Vice-Chairman of the Cultural Society of the Punjab University Students Union, Member of the Debating Team of the Punjab University Students Union and Vice- President of the Students Union of the Lincoln''s Inn, London. Syed lqbal Haider has also been active in politics - first as a member of Pakistan Peoples Party and then that of Qaumi Mahaz-e-Azadi (QMA). He was President, Karachi Division QMA from December 1977 till 1982 whereafter he became Secretary General of QMA and held this position from 1983 to 1988. Sayed lqbal Haider was one of the main organizers of the Mass Movement launched by the MRD in 1983 for removal of Martial Law and Restoration of Democracy. He held important offices of the MRD, including its Central Acting Convener, Acting Central Secretary General and Acting Joint Secretary of the MRD. Being in the forefront of the MRD movement, he was detained repeatedly, at least ten times, by the Martial Law Authorities during 1981 to 1986. His movement from one province to other provinces of Pakistan was also prohibited from time to time by the Martial Law Authorities. Mr. Haider rejoined Pakistan Peoples Party in 1988 and since 1990 he is President of Pakistan Peoples Party Karachi Division, Vice-President of the Pakistan Peoples Party Sindh and a member of the Central Executive Committee of the PPP. Mr. Haider is also Central Secretary Information of the Peoples'' Democratic Alliance (PDA). Sayed lqbal Haider held the office of the Advisor to the Chief Minister Sindh from January 1989 till February 1990. He has also been Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs from November 1993 to December 1994. Sayed lqbal Haider was Vice-President of Civil Liberties Association Karachi. He is one of the founders and member of the Governing Council of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. He has also been member of the Executive Board/Committees of a number of organisations, including Pakistan Institute of International Affairs and the Sindh Red Crescent Society, and a Trustee of the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Sports Foundation. He is also a member of the Bar Associations of the Sindh and Lahore High Courts. I Sayed Iqbal Haider is a widely travelled person and has been to the UK, USA, China, Japan, Switzerland, France, Holland, Italy, Germany, India, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and a number of other countries of Asia and Europe on academic, professional, official and private errands. He was elected as a Senator in March 1991. He is member of the Senate Standing Committees on Defence, Defence Production and Aviation and on Information and Broacasting amd on Culture, Sporsts and Tourism and Women Development and Youth Affairs and also on Functional Committee on Human Rights.
