Khan Abdul Jabbar Khan

Khan Abdul Jabbar Khan
1st Chief Minister of West Pakistan
In office 14 October 1955 – 27 August 1957
Monarch	Elizabeth II
President	Iskander Mirza
Governor-General	Iskander Mirza
Governor	Mushtaq Ahmed Gurmani
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Sardar Abdur Rashid Khan
Personal details
Born	1883[1] Utmanzai, Charsadda, British India, now Charsadda District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Died	9 May 1958 (aged 75)[1] Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Khan Abdul Jabbar Khan (Pashto: خان عبدالجبار خان‎) (born 1883, Utmanzai, Charsadda – 9 May 1958, Lahore), popularly known as Dr. Khan Sahib (ډاکټر خان صاحب), was a pioneer in the Indian Independence Movement and a Pakistani politician.^[1]

Early life

He was born in the village of Utmanzai, Charsadda, in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) of British India (now in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan). His father, Bahram Khan was a local landlord. He was eight years older than his brother, Bacha Khan (Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan).^[1]

After matriculating from the Edwards Mission High School in Peshawar, Khan Sahib studied at Grant Medical College, Bombay. He subsequently completed his training from St Thomas' Hospital in London. During the First world war, he served in France. During his stay in France, he met a Scottish girl Mary. They fell in love and soon they got married, though his younger brother Bacha Khan was against this marriage. Mary had a daughter from her earlier relationship and her name was Meriam. After the war, he joined the Indian Medical Service and was posted in Mardan with the Guides regiment. He resigned his commission in 1921, after refusing to be posted in Waziristan, where the British Indian Army was launching operations against his fellow Pashtun tribes (1919–20).^[1]

Contribution to the Indian independence movement

In 1935, Khan Sahib was elected alongside Peer Shahenshah of Jungle Khel Kohat as representatives of the North-West Frontier Province to the Central Legislative Assembly in New Delhi.

With the grant of limited self-government and announcement of Indian provincial elections, 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

At the time of independence of Pakistan in 1947, he was the chief executive of the province appointed in British India.^[2] Later he was jailed by Abdul Qayyum Khan Kashmiri's government. After Abdul Qayyum Khan Kashmiri's appointment to the Central government and the personal efforts of the Chief Minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa at the time, Sardar Bahadur Khan, he along with his brother and many other activists were released.

Back in government

He joined the Central Cabinet of Muhammad Ali Bogra as Minister for Communications in 1954. This decision to join the government led to his split with his brother.^[3]

In October 1955, he became the first Chief Minister of West Pakistan following the consolidation of the provinces and princely states under the One Unit scheme.^[1] After differences with the ruling Muslim League over the issue of Joint versus Separate Electorates, he created the Republican Party with the help of then Governor-General of Pakistan Iskander Mirza.^[4]

He resigned in March 1957 after the provincial budget was rejected by the assembly.

In June, he was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan representing the constituency of Quetta, the former capital of Balochistan.

Assassination

He was assassinated by Atta Mohammad at approximately 8:30 am on 9 May 1958, according to some sources on the orders of Allama Mashraqi, leader of the Khaksars.^[5]

In a book entitled “Allama Mashriqi Narrowly Escapes the Gallows: Court Proceedings of an Unpardonable Crime Against the Man Who Led the Freedom of the Indian Subcontinent”, scholar and historian Nasim Yousaf, Mashriqi’s grandson, provides a day-by-day account of the court proceedings. ^[6]

This tragic incident occurred while Dr. Khan Sahib was sitting in the garden of his son Sadullah Khan's house at 16 Aikman Road, GOR, Lahore.^[7] He was waiting for Colonel Syed Abid Hussein of Jhang to accompany him to a meeting organised in connection with the scheduled February 1959 General Elections. The assailant was a "Patwari" (Land Revenue Clerk) from Mianwali who had been dismissed from service two years previously. Despite his appeal in court, the assailant had not been reinstated to his position as 'Patwari'.^[1]

The body of Dr. Khan Sahib was taken to his village Utmanzai, Charsadda about 30 miles from Peshawar, where he was laid to rest by side of his European wife Mary Khan.^[8]

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."^[9]

References

Notes

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

See also

• Bacha Khan
• Khan Abdul Bahram Khan
• Khan Abdul Ghani Khan
• Khan Abdul Wali Khan
• Nasim Wali Khan
• Asfandyar Wali Khan