Prominent lawyer Raza Kazim passes away at 96

LAHORE: Raza Kazim, a distinguished lawyer, philosopher, and founder of the Sanjan Nagar Institute of Philosophy and Arts, passed away on Thursday. He was 96.

He was born on Jan 13, 1930, in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh.

Widely regarded as a political activist, philosopher and inventor, the deceased was a part of the Indian Congress movement and subsequently became involved with the Muslim League working for an independent Pakistan.

He later became a member of the Pakistan Communist Party and was a general secretary of the Pakistan Trade Union Federation and the Democratic Students Federation president.

He withdrew from politics in 1951 due to ideological differences and entered the legal profession in 1953.

As an activist, he raised his voice against authoritarian rule and was imprisoned on trumped-up charges of waging war against the state during the regimes of Gen Ayub Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and Gen Ziaul Haq.

However, his Sanjan Nagar institute emerged as a unique space for intellectual and artistic inquiry. He also developed ‘Sagar Veena’, a plucked string instrument.

Lawyers offered condolences on his death, saying Mr Kazim will be remembered not only as a distinguished jurist but also for his contributions to philosophy.

Raza Kazim was the elder brother of senior journalist Nasim Zahra and uncle of Jugan Kazim, an actor and TV host.

He was laid to rest in a local graveyard.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2026