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

Pakistan Movement The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the per ...

Early life

Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri belonged to the

Niazi Niazi (; , ps, نيازي; ur, نیازی) Niazai, Nyazi, Nyazai, Niyazi or Niyazai is one of the largest Pashtun tribes which resides in Afghanistan and northwestern part of Pakistan. The earliest work which provides the details about ...

tribe in Rokhri,

Mianwali District The Mianwali District ( ur, ), is a district located in Sargodha Division of Punjab province, Pakistan. It was separated from NWFP in 1901, and has a border with the Chakwal, Attock,Kohat, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Bhakkar, a ...

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

. He was also known as ''Khan Sahib'', a title given by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

to him which he abandoned this title in 1946 on the direction of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Activism

He became an active member of the Muslim Students Federation as a student and campaigned for the

from the

Career

In the

Indian provincial elections, 1946 Provincial elections were held in British India in January 1946 to elect members of the legislative councils of British Indian provinces. The consummation of British rule in India were the 1945/1946 elections. As minor political parties were el ...

, Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi of Rokhri was elected Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA). After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, he became the first Chairman of the District Council of

Mianwali Mianwali (Punjabi/ ur, ) is the capital city of Mianwali District in Punjab, Pakistan. The 81st largest city of Pakistan, it is known for its diverse population of, Punjabi and Pashtun ethnicities. History Mianwali District was an agricult ...

from 1948 to 1958. He was also elected MPA in 1970 during the Pakistani general election, 1970. In the elections of 1977, Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri was elected MNA defeating the candidate of the

Pakistan National Alliance The Pakistan National Alliance (Urdu: پاکستان قومی اتحاد, Acronym: PNA), was a populist and consolidated right-wing political alliance, consisting of nine political parties of the country. Formed in 1977, the country's leading ...

, Maulana

Abdul Sattar Khan Niazi Abdus Sattar Khan Niazi (مولاناعبدالستارخان نیازی) (1 October 1915 – 2 May 2001) was a Pakistani religious and political leader. Early life He was born on 1 October 1915 at Isakhel in Mianwali District, Punjab, B ...

. He served in the

Senate of Pakistan Senate of Pakistan or Aiwān-e-Bālā Pākistān ( ur, , , literally "Pakistan upper house"), is the upper house, upper legislative chamber of the bicameral legislature of Pakistan, and together with the National Assembly (Pakistan), National As ...

from 1985 to 1991 and then was re-elected for another six year term until 1997. In the meantime his son, Aamir Hayat Khan Rokhri served as an MPA and MNA and his nephew,

Gul Hameed Khan Rokhri Gul Hameed Khan Rokhri (1 January 1936 - 23 August 2020) was a Pakistani politician. Throughout his political career, he has been a member of the Provincial Assembly, been elected as an MNA, and then later became the Punjab Revenue, Relief & C ...

also served as an MPA, MNA and Punjab Food Minister. Rokhri did not only succeed from Mianwali but also from

Bhakkar Bhakkar ( ur, ), is the principal city of Bhakkar District located in Punjab, Pakistan. It lies on the left bank of the Indus River. It is the 86th largest city in Pakistan. Administration Bhakkar city is also the administrative centre of Bh ...

. He was a close friend of

Amir Mohammad Khan Malik Amir Mohammad Khan (; 20 June 1910 – 26 November 1967) was the Nawab of Kalabagh and a prominent feudal lord, politician, the chief or sardar of the Awan tribe, and of his tribal estate Kalabagh, in Mianwali District of north western P ...

, Governor of

West Pakistan West Pakistan ( ur, , translit=Mag̱ẖribī Pākistān, ; bn, পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান, translit=Pôścim Pakistan) was one of the two Provincial exclaves created during the One Unit Scheme in 1955 in Pakistan. It was ...

. He was also an intimate friend of

Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi (1917 - 25 September 1981) was a Pakistani politician who rose to prominence from a small town of Gujrat, Punjab, Pakistan. Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi began his career in the police force as a constable but gave it up soon after ...

and Ayub Khan (his son is married to Ayub's granddaughter). He remained one of the

Pakistan Muslim League The Pakistan Muslim League ( ur, ; known as PML), is the name of several different Pakistani political parties that have dominated the right-wing platform in the country. The Muslim League (a different party) was the party of Pakistan’ ...

's loyal workers for a long time. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Pakistani Punjab despite the opposition of figures such as

Mian Mumtaz Daultana Mian Mumtaz Daulatana ( Punjabi, ur, ), (20 February 1916 – 30 January 1995) was a Pakistani politician and a key supporter of Pakistan Movement in British India. After independence, he served as the second Chief Minister of West Punjab i ...

, Chief Minister of Punjab. Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri along with

Balakh Sher Mazari Sardar Mir Balakh Sher Mazari ( ur, ; 8 July 1928 – 4 November 2022) was a Pakistani politician who served as Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan for five weeks in 1993. He was the tumandar (or chieftain) and the paramount sardar of the ...

, Anwar Ali Noon,

Sikandar Hayat Khan '' Khan Bahadur'' Captain Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan, (5 June 1892 – 26 December 1942), also written Sikandar Hyat-Khan or Sikandar Hyat Khan, was an Indian politician and statesman from the Punjab who served as the Premier of the Punjab, amon ...

, and Sardar Ahmad Ali resigned from the National Assembly when

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourt ...

jailed their close friend,

. Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri was a close friend of the Pir of Pagaro VII,

, Colonel Abid Hussain and others. The affection the people of

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 Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain ( pa, ; ur, ; (born 27 January 1940) is a senior Pakistani politician from a Punjabi Jat family of Gujrat who previously served as 16th prime minister of Pakistan. Hussain is the party president of the Pakistan ...

, former Prime Minister,

Gohar Ayub Khan Gohar Ayub Khan ( ur, گوہر ایوب خان; born 15 January 1937) is a Pakistani politician, business oligarch, retired army officer, and conservative figure of the Pakistan Muslim League, who held ministerial positions during the administr ...

, former Foreign Minister & Speaker of National Assembly of Pakistan, Syeda Abida Hussain, former Federal Minister, and others. Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri's political influence was greatest in the district of Mianwali and Bhakkar.A family-dominated contest
Dawn (newspaper), Published 28 April 2013, Retrieved 30 October 2021

Awards and honours

* Tehrik e Pakistan (

) Award by the Governor of Punjab, Pakistan.Profile of Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhri
Mianwali.org website, Published 16 January 2017, Retrieved 30 October 2021

Family

He founded the New Khan Transport Company. New Khan Transport is the largest transport company in Pakistan. It introduced luxury air-conditioned buses to Pakistan. He also wrote an autobiography ''Mein Aur Mera Pakistan'', a book in Urdu-language which presents his personal account of the history of Pakistan. He leaves behind a son and five daughters. His son Aamir Hayat Khan Rokhri was a

MPA MPA or mPa may refer to: Academia Academic degrees * Master of Performing Arts * Master of Professional Accountancy * Master of Public Administration * Master of Public Affairs Schools * Mesa Preparatory Academy * Morgan Park Academy * Mou ...

and his nephew

, is a former

, MNA and Punjab Revenue, Relief & Consolidations Minister.

References

External links

Amir Abdullah Khan Rokri – Senate of Pakistan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rokhri, Amir Abdullah Khan Pakistani politicians Pakistan Movement activists All India Muslim League members Members of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab Members of the Senate of Pakistan

Amir Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cer ...

1916 births 2001 deaths Pashtun people People from Mianwali District