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Khan Sahib (1882 - May 1958) popularly known as 'Dr. Khan Sahib' was a pioneer in the Indian Independence Movement and a Pakistan politician.

Contents

Early life

Contribution to the Indian independence movement

Politics in Pakistan 1947 - 1954

Back in government

Footnotes

References

Early life

He was born in the village of Utmanzai, near Charsadda in the North-West Frontier Province. His father, Bahram Khan was the chief of the Mohammedzais ("sons of Mohamed") tribe of the Pashtun (Pathan) people in the Hashtnagar area.
Khan Sahib was eight years older than his brother, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Badshah Khan).
After matriculating from the Edwardes Mission High School in Peshawar, Khan Sahib studied at Grant Medical College, Bombay (present day Mumbai).

Contribution to the Indian independence movement

In 1935, Dr. Khan Sahib was elected as the NWFP's sole representative to the Central Legislative Assembly in New Delhi.
With the grant of limited self-government and announcement of provincial elections in 1937, Dr. Khan Sahib led his party to a comprehensive victory. The Frontier National Congress, an affiliate of the Indian National Congress emerged as the single largest party in the Provincial Assembly.

Politics in Pakistan 1947 - 1954

He was jailed by Abdul Qayyum Khan's government. After Qayyum Khan's appointment to the Central government and the personal efforts of the Chief Minister of NWFP at the time Sardar Bahadur Khan he along with his brother and many other actvists were released.

Back in government

He joined the Central Cabinet of Muhammad Ali Bogra as Minister for Communications in 1954.
In October 1955, he became the first Chief Minister of West Pakistan following the amalgamation of the provinces and princely states under the One Unit scheme. After differences with the ruling Muslim League over the issue of Joint versus Separate Electorates, he created the Republican Party.
He resigned in March 1957 after the provincial budget was rejected by the assembly.
In June, he was elected to the National Assembly representing the constituency of Quetta, the former capital of Balochistan.
He was assassinated by a former revenue official in Lahore on May 12, 1958. Speaking of his passing, Pakistani President Iskander Mirza said, about him that he was "the greatest Pathan of his times, a great leader and a gallant gentleman whose life-long fight in the cause of freedom, his sufferings and sacrifices for the sake of his convictions and his passion to do good to the common man were the attributes of a really great man." ^[1]
After his death, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti was elected to fill the vacancy arising in the National Assembly.
It is important to note that Dr.Khan Sahib's brother, Ghaffar Khan and his Red Shirt movement stayed away from the electoral politics.
Ghaffar Khan actively opposed the One Unit and Dr.Khan Sahib's government. No major Red Shirt leader or worker ever joined the Republican Party, founded by Dr.Khan Sahib. The Red Shirts or Khudai Khidmatgar ( servants of God ) joined hands with nationalist and progressive workers and leaders from both the then East Pakistan and West Pakistan to form the National Awami Party (national Peoples Party) in 1957.

Footnotes

1. Frontier Post, May 27, 2004 Dr Khan Sahib Remembered By Syed Afzaal Hussain Zaidi

References

★ Mahmud, Makhdumzada Syed Hassan (1958). ''A Nation is Born''