Early life
He was born in the village of Utmanzai, near Charsadda in the North-West
Frontier Province. His father, Bahram Khan was a well known Khan in the
Hashtnagar area.
Khan Sahib was eight years older than his brother, Khan Abdul Ghaffar
Khan (Badshah Khan).
After matriculating from the Edwardes Mission High School in Peshawar, Khan
Sahib studied at Grant Medical
College, Bombay (present day Mumbai).
Contribution to the Indian Independence Movement
In 1935, Dr. Khan Sahib was elected as the NWFP's sole representative to the
Central Legislative Assembly in New Delhi.
With the grant of limited self-government and announcement of provincial
elections in 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
He was jailed by Abdul Qayyum Khan's
government. After Qayyum Khan's appointment to the Central government and the
personal efforts of the Chief Minister of NWFP at the time Sardar Bahadur Khan
he along with his brother and many other actvists were released.
Back in Government
He joined the Central Cabinet of Muhammad Ali Bogra as
Minister for Communications in 1954.
In October 1955, he became the first Chief Minister of West
Pakistan following the amalgamation of the provinces and princely states
under the One Unit scheme. After differences with the ruling Muslim
League over the issue of Joint versus Separate Electorates, he created the Republican
Party.
He resigned in March 1957 after the provincial budget was rejected by the
assembly.
In June, he was elected to the National Assembly representing the
constituency of Quetta, the former capital of Balochistan.
He was assassinated by a former revenue official in Lahore on May 12, 1958.
After his death, Nawab Akbar Khan
Bugti was elected to fill the vacancy arising in the National Assembly.
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