The death of Omar Asghar Khan is a tragedy not only for his loved ones but also for the country. A public figure who combined integrity, an understanding of the theory and practice of development and a deep commitment to the people of Pakistan, is rare in our country's history. What is even more unusual is that such a person should decide to take a plunge into Pakistan's mainstream political process. A process in which politicians by and large have demonstrated managerial incompetence, and a greed for personal power and wealth untrammeled by any human consideration for the people in whose name they claim to rule. Omar had a sensitivity and clarity of mind, which enabled him to work for the long run reconstruction of an alternative political process. A process marked by probity rather than pelf, reason rather than obscurantism, fraternity rather than egotism.

With an M.Phil in development studies from Cambridge and an initial teaching experience in the Punjab University, Omar tried to lay the basis of a new politics based on grass roots institutions. He established a highly successful development NGO called SUNGI, which combined social mobilization for development at the village level, with advocacy on development policy issues at the national level. He remained detached from the political skullduggery, and the use of public office for private gain during the 1990s. He continued to work quietly for a new politics that would be grounded in grass roots development, selflessness and a love for the people. He dared to be idealistic in an environment where pragmatism was confused with the displacement of principles from politics. At the end of the 1990s the country entered a critical crisis of state, economy and society as a result of a combination of incompetence and greed for power and wealth by successive political regimes. At this juncture he decided to join the cabinet of President Pervez Musharraf to help to turn the tide. Having made his contribution to saving Pakistan from the collapse of economy and state, Omar decided to leave his cabinet position and engage in the national political process in the prelude to the elections of October 2002. He had just begun his political career at the national stage. It is a tragedy for Pakistan that he was cut down in mid stride. As in Shakespeare's Scotland it is symptomatic of the sickness of our society that "young men die before the flowers in their caps". Yet we must continue to pursue hope for a better future with love and reason. As the great Sufi poet Sultan Bahu puts it:

[JO DIL MANGAY HOWAY NAHIN
HOWAN REHA PARARAY HU
DOST NO DAIWAY DILL DA DARU, ISHQ NA WAGAAN PHAIRAY HU
ISS MAIDAAN MUHABBAT VAALE MILLAN TAA TIRKHERE HU,
MEIN QURBAAN TINHA THEEN BAHU
JINHAAN RAKHIA QADDAM AGGERE HU]

[The heart desires the potential within the actual.
When one possibility is actualized a new possibility is born.
In this tension between the actual and the possible, the true friend is one who does not give a symptomatic antidote, and true love does not turn back from the quest.
On this landscape of love you will confront much suffering.
I salute him O' Bahu who takes the forward step]