Name Fida Khan | Nationality Pakistan | |
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Preceded by Abdul Ghafoor Khan Hoti Full Name Fida Mohammad Khan Born 24 November 1919Peshawar, North-West Frontier Province, British Indian Empire ( 1919-11-24 ) Citizenship British Subject (1919–1947)Pakistan (1947–2007) Other political affiliations All-India Muslim League, Muslim League, Pakistan Muslim League | ||
Fida Mohammad Khan | Wikipedia audio article
Fida Mohammad Khan (Urdu: فدا محمد خان; 24November 1919 – 20 December 2007) was a Pakistani conservative economist and lawyer who served as the Governor of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province under the military government of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq from 1986 until 1988. He was one of the founding members of the All-India Muslim League for its Northwest Frontier Province chapter before 1947.
Contents
- Fida Mohammad Khan Wikipedia audio article
- Early life and career
- Death awards and recognition
- References
Early life and career
Born in 1919, Fida Khan was educated at the Peshawar University, graduated and earned his BA degree in Economics from the Edwardes College, and LLB degree in Economic law from Aligarh Muslim University in 1945. During this time, Fida Khan joined All-India Muslim League and actively participated in Pakistan Movement, serving as the leading activist of Pakistan Movement in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Fida Muhammad Khan was a veteran Muslim Leaguer and former Governor of NWFP. He had also served as an ex-senator, federal minister, provincial minister and a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan (MNA). He had represented Pakistan in the United Nations also at an early age of 27. As a young man, Fida Mohammad Khan took part in the independence movement. As All-India Muslim League - Peshawar chapter president, he played an active role in the 1947 referendum in the NWFP in which majority of voters opted for their province to become part of Pakistan. The referendum was rejected and boycotted by the Pashtun nationalists led by Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan.
He also remained active in the All-India Muslim League's National Guards and Muslim Students Federation. He subsequently served as central and provincial president of the Muslim League. Twice during his political career, Fida Mohammad Khan was elected member of the Senate. However, he never contested an assembly election. During General Ziaul Haq's martial law regime, he served as federal housing minister. He remained governor of the NWFP from 1986 to 1988.
Fida Mohammad was fond of narrating the story of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah's visit to Khyber Agency. Due to opposition by the Congress party of India and its ally, Khudai Khidmatgar movement, Jinnah's trip to Khyber Agency was considered risky. But Fida Mohammad Khan volunteered to drive Jinnah to Landikotal, where his father Tehmas Khan was serving as political Tehsildar.
This was a historic trip as tribesmen gave a warm welcome to the Quaid-i-Azam and announced their allegiance to the All-India Muslim League. Quaid-i-Azam was driven to Torkham on the border with Afghanistan and brought back by Fida Mohammad Khan to Peshawar. For the young Fida, this was a memorable event and he never missed an opportunity to narrate the story. Though Fida Mohammad Khan always remained a Muslim Leaguer, he did join one or the other factions of the PML on different occasions. Once he joined the Nawaz Sharif faction and was made its head after a political coup removed Mohammad Khan Junejo as president of the Pakistan Muslim League in the 1980s.