Veteran Congress party leader and Punjab’s former Cabinet Minister Khushal Bahl died of cardiac arrest at his home in the wee hours on Sunday. 87-year-old Bahl began his political career as a student leader at FC College, lahore. In 1966, he was later elected president of the Gurdaspur municipal council. He was elected to the Punjab Assembly from Gurdaspur constituency in 1972, 1977, 1992 and 2002 and was a Minister in the Congress party led Governments headed by Giani Zail Singh, Beant Singh, Harcharan Singh Brar and Capt Amarinder Singh, holding the portfolios of medical education, industrial training, jails, labour and employment and higher and school education. Bahl is survived by three sons — Raman, Aman and Bahl.