Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri

Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri (10 June 1916 – 2 December 2001) was a politician and was involved in the Pakistan Movement.

Khan Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri belonged to the Niazi tribe in Rokhri, Mianwali, Punjab, Pakistan and also had roots in Samand Khel. He was also known as Khan Sahab a title given by the British to him and to his father, Muhammad Hayat Khan Rokhri. They became the first father and son to have been awarded the title. Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri returned the title to the British on the call of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Activism

As a member of the independence movement, Rokhri was jailed by the British because he removed the Union Jack from the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Mianwali District.^[1] He was an important leader of the Muslim League when the feudal aristocrat class were members of the Unionist Party. He also participated in the Kashmir freedom struggle in 1948, his brother Habib Ullah Khan Rokhri fell martyr fighting in Kashmir.

Career

After the foundation of Pakistan, he became the first Chairman of the District Council of Mianwali. He was also Elected MLA in 1946 as an independent candidate and then again in 1951. He was elected to the West Pakistan Assembly in 1956 unopposed. He was also elected MPA in 1970. In the elections of 1977, Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri was elected MNA defeating the candidate of the PNA, Maulana Abdus Sattar Niazi by 52,000 votes. He served in the Senate from 1985 to 1997 whereas in the meantime his son, Aamir Hayat Khan Rokhri served as an MPA and MNA and his nephew, Gul Hameed Khan Rokhri also served as an MPA, MNA and Punjab Food Minister. Rokhri did not only succeed from Mianwali rather he also succeeded in Bhakkar. He was a close friend of Amir Mohammad Khan, Governor of West Pakistan. He was also an intimate friend of Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi and Ayub Khan (his son is married to Ayub's granddaughter). Rokhri was offered the governorship many times but consistently refused. He was referred to as "Waday Khan Sahib" in Mianwali. He was one of the Pakistan Muslim League's senior leaders, and worked alongside Quaid-e-Azam.

Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri received the award for Tehrik-i-Pakistan from the then Governor of Punjab, Makhdoom Sajjad Hussain Qureshi. He was awarded a Gold Medal by Nawaz Sharif for being a senior member of the independence movement.^[2]

He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Pakistani Punjab despite the opposition of figures such as Mian Mumtaz Daultana, Chief Minister of Punjab.

Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri along with Balakh Sher Mazari, Anwar Noon, Sardar Sikandar Hayat, and Sardar Ahmad Ali resigned from the National Assembly when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto jailed their close friend, Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi. Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri was a close friend of the Pir of Pagaro, Makhdoom Hassan Mehmood, Maulana Abdus Sattar Niazi, Balakh Sher Mazari, Colonel Abid Hussain and others. The affection the people of Mianwali had for Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri was obvious to anyone who attended his funeral. His death was condoled by leaders from every party whereas many leading politicians attended his funeral in his ancestral village of Rokhri including Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, former Prime Minister, Chaudhry Shafaat Hussain, Zila Nazim Gujrat, Gohar Ayub Khan, former Foreign Minister & Speaker of NA, Syeda Abida Hussain, former Federal Minister, and others. Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri's political influence was greatest in the district of Mianwali and Bhakkar. The Utra's, Dhandla's and Masti Khel's of Bhakkar were close political companions of Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri.

Family

Khan Muhammad Barkhurdar Khan Lasharie was a close friend of Rokhri and founded the New Khan Transport Company. New Khan Transport is the largest transport company in Pakistan. Khan Barkhudar Khan Lasharie invited Nawab of Kalabagh, Amir Mohammad Khan and Rokhri who were his close friends to join the company. When the Nawab was allegedly murdered by his own son, Khan Barkhurdar Khan withdrew from the company, leaving Rokhri and later his late son Aamir Hayat Khan Rokhri in control of the company.

He wrote an autobiography Main aur Mera Pakistan.

He leaves behind a son and five daughters. His son Aamir Hayat Khan Rokhri was a MPA and his nephew Gul Hameed Khan Rokhri, is a former MPA, MNA and Punjab Revenue, Relief & Consolidations Minister. Gul Hameed Rokhri's son, Humair Hayat Khan Rokhri is also an MNA. His grandson Adil Abdullah Rokhri is a MPA.

References

External links

• Amir Abdullah Khan Rokri – Senate of Pakistan