Abdul Qayyum Khan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan
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| عبد القیوم خان | |
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| 17th Minister for Interior | |
| In office 13 May 1972 – 13 January 1977 |
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| Prime Minister | Zulfikar Ali Bhutto |
| Preceded by | Zulfikar Ali Bhutto |
| Succeeded by | Zulfikar Ali Bhutto |
| 5th Chief Minister of the North-West Frontier Province | |
| In office 23 August 1947 – 23 April 1953 |
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| Governor | George Cunningham Ambrose Flux Dundas Sahibzada Mohammad Khurshid Muhammad Ibrahim Khan I. I. Chundrigar Khwaja Shahabuddin |
| Preceded by | Khan Abdul Jabbar Khan ( 1st Chief Minister of the North-West Frontier Province) |
| Succeeded by | Sardar Abdur Rashid Khan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 June 1901 Chitral, Chitral State, British India |
| Died | 23 October 1981 (aged 80) Islamabad, Pakistan |
| Resting place | Peshawar, Pakistan |
| Political party | Pakistan Muslim League (Qayyum) (1970-1981) |
| Other political affiliations |
Indian National Congress (1934-1945) All-India Muslim League (1945-1947) Muslim League (1947-1958) Pakistan Muslim League (1962-1970) |
| Alma mater | Government College University, London School of Economics, Lincoln Inn |
Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan Kashmiri (Urdu: عبدالقیوم خان کشمیری) (born July 16, 1901 – died October 23, 1981) was an important political leader in British India and later in Pakistan. He was especially active in the North-West Frontier Province (now called Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). He served as the first Chief Minister of this province and later as the Interior Minister of Pakistan for the central government from 1972 to 1977.
Contents
Early Life & Education
Abdul Qayyum Khan was born in the State of Chitral. His family originally came from the Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir. His father, Khan Abdul Hakim, worked as a Tehsildar (a local tax officer) in the North-West Frontier Province.
Khan studied at Aligarh Muslim University and the London School of Economics. He became a barrister, which is a type of lawyer, after studying at Lincoln's Inn in London.
His brother, Abdul Hamid Khan (Azad Kashmiri politician), also became a prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Another brother, Khan Abdul Rauf Khan, was a well-known lawyer.
Legal Career
Abdul Qayyum Khan was one of the top lawyers in the North-West Frontier Province. He handled many important cases, especially in criminal law. He was known for his skills in the courtroom.
Political Journey
Joining the Indian National Congress
Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan began his political career in 1934 with the Indian National Congress party. He quickly became an elected member of the Central Legislative Assembly (1937–38). He also served as the deputy leader of the Congress party in the Assembly.
At this time, he admired Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, another prominent leader. Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan even wrote a book called Gold and Guns on the Pathan Frontier. In this book, he praised Ghaffar Khan and spoke against the idea of partitioning India. He stated that the North West Frontier Province would strongly oppose the partition.
However, his views changed, and he joined the All-India Muslim League in 1945. After this, he banned his own book.
Role in the Muslim League and Partition
In the 1946 provincial elections, Khan campaigned for the All-India Muslim League. Despite his efforts, the Muslim League won fewer seats than the Congress Party in the province. The Congress Party then formed the government.
Abdul Qayyum Khan was given the task of challenging the Congress government in the province. He used public protests and tried to gain support from Muslim officers in the government. The North-West Frontier Province became a key area of disagreement between the Congress and the Muslim League during the Partition of India.
The British government decided to hold a vote, called a referendum, to let the people of the province choose whether to join India or Pakistan. Abdul Ghaffar Khan and his party boycotted this vote. The Muslim League won the referendum, with most votes going for Pakistan.
Soon after Pakistan became independent, the Congress government in the province was removed. Abdul Qayyum Khan then became the Chief Minister of the North-West Frontier Province on August 23, 1947. He worked to gain support from other politicians to keep his government strong.
Involvement in the Kashmir Conflict
Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan played a role in the events leading up to the First Kashmir War. He supported efforts to help people in Kashmir who were fighting for their rights. His involvement was significant in the early stages of the conflict.
Leading the North-West Frontier Province
As the Chief Minister, Qayyum Khan faced some challenges from within his own party and from other political groups. He took strong actions to maintain control and deal with opposition.
His time as Chief Minister is remembered for important development projects in the province. These included building the Peshawar University and the Warsak Dam, which helped with water and power. He also introduced free and compulsory education up to middle school, making the North-West Frontier Province the first province in Pakistan to do so. He also made changes to land laws to help poor farmers.
Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan was a strong opponent of the Khudai Khidmatgar movement led by Ghaffar Khan. He led the Muslim League to a big win in the 1951 elections. He served as Chief Minister until April 23, 1953.
Serving in the Central Government
After his time as Chief Minister, he became a central minister for Industries, Food, and Agriculture in 1953.
Later, during the rule of Ayub Khan, he was arrested and not allowed to be involved in politics for some time. He was imprisoned for two years before being released.
In the 1970 General Election in Pakistan, he led the Pakistan Muslim League-Qayyum faction. He won two seats in the National Assembly of Pakistan. In 1973, his party formed an alliance with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) after East Pakistan became independent.
He was appointed as the federal interior minister by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He held this position until the 1977 elections. After Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq took power, Qayyum Khan tried to unite the different Muslim League groups, but his efforts were not successful. He passed away on October 22, 1981.
He had a long-standing rivalry with Khan Habibullah Khan, who was his classmate at Islamia College in Peshawar.
Criticism
The Babrra Massacre
Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan faced significant criticism for his role in the Babrra massacre. This event happened on August 12, 1948, in the Charsadda District of the North-West Frontier Province. During a protest by workers of the Khudai Khidmatgar movement, the provincial government ordered firing on the crowd.
Official reports stated that about 15 protestors were killed and around 40 were injured. However, sources from the Khudai Khidmatgar movement claimed that the number of casualties was much higher, with about 150 killed and 400 injured.
In September 1948, Chief Minister Abdul Qayyum Khan made a statement in the provincial assembly about the incident. He was criticized for his strong stance regarding the protestors.
See Also
- Sardar Abdur Rashid Khan
- Yusuf Khattak
- Babrra massacre
