Bashir Bilour : An irreplaceable man

With the assassination of Bashir Ahmad Bilour, senior minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, a glorious chapter in selfless public service and the nation's political life has come to a doleful close. This was the third murder attempt on him. The accursed terrorists were murderously after him and had had abortively attempted to assassinate him in 2008 and 2009 as well. But a brave man that he was, he never buckled under their threats. Not to be dissuaded by their vile intimidations, he indeed was always the first to visit the place in the province where they had perpetrated their grisly carnage, condole with the bereaved families and look after the victims of their mayhem. Bow down he would not to the merchants of death and destruction, he would vow always. And he lived up to his vow valorously and unflinchingly, though he paid the price with his precious life ultimately. He was a man of many parts. A lawyer by profession, a businessman by occupation, and a politician by career, the mild-mannered, soft-spoken and sociable Bashir Ahmed Bilour was a much loved man. Love and affection for fellow human beings was his high distinctive mark. Even when under dire life threat for being on the thugs' hit list, he was highly accessible to the people and never kept his doors shut on them. And his constituents would remember him for long for his services to them. Though a man of means, he abhorred pomp and show disdainfully and shunned it puritanically. Humbleness was his hallmark. And though in politics for decades, he hankered not after office or power. Quite often, he was inducted into the provincial ministries, but not for his asking but for his sterling qualities of heart and mind. Never ever he switched coats for greener pastures. Throughout, he stayed with the ANP faithfully, even when the political pundits predicted he would bolt away for what they perceived was a shabby treatment meted out to him by the party high command. He did not; he stayed put with no whines or complaints on his lips. Philanthropy was his one outstanding trait. He believed in sharing his opulence with the needy and the destitute without expecting the return of the compliment. And he practised it in the true Islamic spirit, with one hand knowing not what the other has given in charity. So self-effacing indeed was he on this count that never ever he wore his charity work on his sleeve. In his tragic demise, the nation has verily suffered an irreparable loss. He was a great human being and a principled politician. And the condolences pouring in from various quarters surely would never be able to match his status. A par excellence human being he was. And just irreplaceable is he. We strongly condemn his brutal assassination. And we express our deepest sympathy with the bereaved family and pray to Almighty Allah to give it the fortitude to bear its colossal loss. May the soul of the deceased rest in eternal peace! Amen.