KARACHI – President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf have expressed their grief and sorrow over the death of social and political leader Iqbal Haider, while condolences keep pouring in from several local and foreign socio-political personalities. In their separate messages‚ the President and Prime Minister lauded his services for the cause of democracy and human rights in the country. They prayed for eternal rest to the departed soul and courage and fortitude to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss.PML-N president Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif also expressed condolence over the demise and prayed to Almighty Allah to rest his soul in peace and endow the heirs with patience and forbearance.MQM leader Altaf Hussain, in a message to the bereaved family condoling the death of Iqbal Haider, said that all the office-bearers and workers of the MQM equally share their grief and sorrow. National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza condoled the death of Syed Iqbal Haider and prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace.Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, ANP chief Asfandyar Wali, Jamaat-e-Islami Amir, Syed Munawwar Hassan, former MNA Muzaffar Hashmi and others also condoled his death.Similarly, Pakistan Peace Coalition secretary general B M Kutty and Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research executive director Karamat Ali expressed their grief and sorrow over the demise of Iqbal Haider. In a joint statement, they said it is a great loss to the nation and the human rights movements in the country, as he was an active campaigner for peace in the region. He fought cases of Indian fishermen in the Supreme Court, paving a way for their release from Pakistani jails as well as release of hundreds of Pakistani fishermen from Indian jails. They recalled Iqbal Haider worked vigorously for victims of honour killings, karo-kari, bonded labour and missing persons. He fought against the military dictatorship of Gen Ziaul Haq and played active part in Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD).