Transitions: Sindh minister Rafique Engineer passes away at the age of 52

Throughout his political career, he remained with the Pakistan Peoples Party.

The Pakistan Peoples Party lost a jiyala on Tuesday, when Sindh minister for archives Muhammad Rafique Sarki aka Rafique Engineer passed away at the age of 52 due to a cardiac arrest.

Engineer’s family originally belonged to Mirpur Sakro of Thatta district, but later migrated to Chakiwara, Lyari. He received his primacy and secondary education from Lyari but was awarded his LLB degree from the SM Law College and Diploma in Associate Engineering (DAE) from Sher Shah Technical College, because of which he came to be known as “engineer”.

The late minister, who served twice as MPA from Lyari, started his political career by joining the Democratic Student Federation, a left-wing student organization, at the Urdu Science College in the early eighties. Later, he joined the Peoples Student Federal in 1984 which was the student wing of the Pakistan Peoples Party.

When party leader Benazir Bhutto launched the youth wing of PPP, Engineer became an active member and soon took on the role of the president of the youth wing of the South district in 1987.

Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro remembered him as a good advocate and engineer. Khuhro and Sindh information minister, Sharjeel Inam Memon, said that Engineer remained loyal to the PPP and worked for the restoration and survival of democracy in the country. “He was among the frontline workers of the party. His services for the party will always be remembered.”

Politically active

Engineer was working at the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board in 1992 when he decided to resign and dedicate all his time to the party.

During his first tenure as an MPA in 2002, Engineer played a key role as an opposition member in the Sindh Assembly and became known for raising the issues of Lyari and Baloch community.

He protested repeatedly against discrimination of his area’s people.



From 2005 to 2008, he was appointed as the general secretary of the Karachi division. “I still remember when police arrested us from Lyari and tortured him before registering a treason case in 1999,” recalled Ibrahim Samon, a PPP leader from Lyari. “The cops put him behind bars and he chanted slogans of ‘Jeay Bhutto’ the whole night.”

When PPP came into power in 2008, he was appointed as the katchi abadi’s minister. His portfolio, however, was changed and he was given the ministry of archives along with the additional charge of special education.

Relationship with Lyari

Activists of the defunct People Aman Committee, led by Uzair Jan Baloch, had publicly announced that they would not allow Engineer to contest the upcoming elections from Lyari.

“Rafique Engineer does not belong to Lyari - we want those elected representatives who can live within us and listen to the people’s problem. During the upcoming election, we will suggest our leadership to nominate our own people to contest the election,” Uzair Baloch has told The Express Tribune a few days ago.

A large number of people, including PPP cabinet ministers, were present at the Eid Gah ground in Lyari where Engineer’s funeral prayers.

Fluent in Balochi, Urdu and Sindhi, the late minister leaves behind two children and a wife. He was laid to rest in Mewa Shah Graveyard.

“Not only the PPP, but Lyari has also lost one of its defenders,” said law minister, Ayaz Soomro.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5^th, 2013.