Sikandar Hayat Khan (Azad Kashmir politician)

Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan (Urdu: سردار سِکندر حیات خان) (1 June 1932 – 9 October 2021)[1] was an Azad Kashmiri politician who served as the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir for two non-consecutives terms.[2] He also served as the President of Azad Kashmir twice.[3] He was the longest-serving prime minister of Azad Kashmir, having served a total of more than 10 years across two tenures.

Sikandar Hayat Khan
Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir
In office
17 June 1985 – 28 June 1990
Preceded byAbdul Hamid Khan
Succeeded byRaja Mumtaz Hussain
In office
25 July 2001 – 23 July 2006
Preceded bySultan Mehmood Chaudhry
Succeeded bySardar Attique Ahmed
President of Azad Kashmir
In office
12 August 1991 – 11 May 1996
Preceded byAbdul Rashid Abbasi (Acting)
Succeeded byAbdul Rashid Abbasi (Acting)
In office
23 May 1996 – 11 August 1996
Preceded byAbdul Rashid Abbasi (Acting)
Succeeded byRaja Mumtaz Hussain (Acting)
Personal details
Born(1934-06-01)1 June 1934
Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, British India
Died9 October 2021(2021-10-09) (aged 87)
Poonch, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan
Political partyAll Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference
Other political
affiliations		Pakistan Muslim League (N)

Early life and education

Born into an eminent political family of Kashmir, Khan was the son of Sardar Fateh Muhammad Khan Karailvi, famous for his role in one of the first major uprisings against the Dogra regime in 1931. His father led the protest against a tax on salt imposed by the Maharaja's regime. Sardar Fateh Muhammad Khan Karailvi along with Baba-e-Poonch Col Khan Muhammad Khan were the only two elected members of the Jammu Kashmir Legislative Assembly Called "Praja Sabha" from Poonch District for 12 consecutive years from 1934-46.[4]

Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan received his early schooling in his native village of Karela in Fatehpur Thakiala, now in District Kotli, and in Poonch city. He went on to study at Gordon College (Rawalpindi), graduating in 1956 before going on to the University Law College in Lahore to obtain a law degree in 1958.[4]

Career

After formally joining the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, he ran for membership in the Kotli council, a position he occupied for eight years, during which he was also elected the President of Bar Association, Kotli. In 1970, he was elected to the Azad Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly and became the Revenue Minister in 1972.[4]

He returned to office from his constituency in every election held in Azad Kashmir between 1970 and 2001, barring the years when he was President of Azad Kashmir. His brother Sardar Muhammad Naeem Khan[5] served as a member from that area during that period.

He served as acting President of the Jammu & Kashmir Muslim Conference in the 1976–78 period and was elected President in 1978, a position he held until 1988. In 1985, he was elected Prime Minister of AJK and served until 1990. He headed the opposition in the Assembly until 1991, when he was elected President of AJK for a five-year term. On 25 July 2001, he was sworn in as Prime Minister of AJK for a second time, serving another five-year term. Khan initially retired from active politics in July 2006.[4] However, he later played a major role in introducing Pakistan Muslim League (N) in AJK for which he was given the position of Senior Vice President of PML-(N) in 2011.[6]

He quit PML-(N) in February 2021 and joined the Muslim Conference as head of the party.[7]

Death

On 9 October 2021, Hayat, who was diabetic and a cardiac patient, died in his hometown; aged 87.[8]

References
  1. "Former AJK president and PM Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan passes away". www.geo.tv.
  2. "Pakistan: Most of quake victims return to their native areas - Sikandar Hayat". 12 April 2006. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  3. Naqash, Tariq (13 February 2021). "Kashmiri leader Sikandar Hayat rejoins Muslim Conference". Dawn. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  4. Sharma, Surinder Kumar; ul Hassan, Yaqoob; Behuria, Ashok (2019). Pakistan Occupied Kashmir: Politics, Parties and Personalities (PDF). Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses: Pentagon Press LLP. p. 213. ISBN 978-93-86618-67-2.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. Zaafir, Muhammad Saleh (28 July 2016). "Nawaz names Farooq Haider as AJK PM". The News. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  7. "Sardar Sikandar Hayat quits PML-N, joins Muslim Conference as supreme leader". 13 February 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  8. "Veteran Kashmiri leader Sikandar Hayat dies". Dawn. 10 October 2021.
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