Monday, May 24, 2010

Liaquat Ali Khan, (1896-1951)

Liaquat Ali Khan was the first prime Minister and friend of M.A. Jinnah, Quadi-i-Azam or Great Leader. He believed like Jinnah  that Pakistan should be a secular state which many Muslim leaders did not like.
Early Life;
He was born in Karnal, Haryana, India, on 1 Oct, 1896.He belonged to Marhal family, who had come from Iran to India approximately 800 hundred years ago during the reign of Muhammad Sahabuddin Ghori.
His father, Nawab Rustam Ali Khan was honoured by British Govt. by awarding him Nawab Bahadur title. He was one of the few land lords whose property was extended both in Punjab and United Province. After the death of his father he went to England and obtained Master's Degree from Oxford University in 1921. He was graduated in Aligarh  Muslim University in 1918.He joined Inns of Court in London.in 1922.
                        Political Career::  
Returning from Britain in 1923, Khan entered politics. In his early life he believed in Indian Nationalism. But his views gradually changed. He did not join Congress, he joined Muslim League in 1923.Under the leadership of Jinnah Muslim League held its annual session in May, 1924, in Lahore.Khan attended this conference.
Khan began his parliamentary career as an elected member of the United Provinces Legislative Council from the rural Muslim Costituency of Muzzaffarnagar in 1926. In 1932, he was unanimously elected Deputy President of UP Legislative Council. he remained a member of the Legislative Council of UP until 1940, when he was elected to the Central Legislative Assembly. He was one of the members of the Muslim League delegation that attended the National Convention held at Calcutta to discuss the Nehru Reportin Dec. 1928.Khan's second marriage was in Dec. 1932.His wife Begum Ra'ana, was a prominent economist and an educator.She was also an important figure of the movement of Pakistan.
In the open session of 12 April, 1936, Jinnah moved a resolution proposing Khan as the Honourary gen, Secretary of Muslim league. The resolution was unanimously accepted.and he held the post till 1947. in 1940, he became the deputy leader of the Muslim League parliamentary Party. He became the managing director of the news Paper Dawn.
In 1945-46, mass elections were held in India and Khan won the Central Legislature election form the Meerut Constituency and was elected Chairman of the Muslim League's Central legislative Assembly.The Muslim League won 87% of seats  in reserved for Muslims.
After independence in 1947, Khan was appointed the first prime Minister. he took important position in the formation of constitution of Pakistan.
Assassination and death :
On 16 oct, 1951, Khan was shot twice in the chest during a public meeting of the Muslim City League at Company Bagh, Rowalpindi. the exact cause was never been fully revealed.
Criticism
He was criticised by the left parties, specially the Communist party of Pakistan, for his pro-western foreign policy.