Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar remembered

ISLAMABAD: Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar, a Muslim League stalwart, Pakistan movement activist and a Pakistani politician was remembered on the occasion of his birth anniversary on Monday.

Nishtar whose ancestors belonged to a prominent Kakar Pashtun family originally of Zhob and settled in Peshawar, was born on June 13, 1899.

He completed his early education in a Christian mission school and later Sanathan Dharam High School in Bombay. He eventually graduated from the Edwardes College in Peshawar [2] and then later on completed his Bachelor of Arts degree from the Punjab University, Lahore. He later went to Aligarh and received an LL.B degree with honours from Aligarh Muslim University in 1925.

From 1932 to 1936, Nishtar was a member of All India Muslim League (AIML) Council, member NWFP (Northwest Frontier Province) legislative Assembly 1937 to 1945, Finance Minister NWFP 1943-45, member AIML Working Committee, 1944-47, represented the All India Muslim League at the Simla Conference in 1945.

After Pakistan was created, Nishtar was appointed Minister for communication in Pakistan. After the dismissal of the Punjab Provincial government in 1949, Sardar Nishtar was appointed Governor of Punjab. He effectively ran the Governorship for two years paving the way for restoration of an elected government in 1951.

He subsequently fell out with the government over the dismissal of Khawaja Nazimuddin's government by Governor General Ghulam Muhammad. Refusing to be involved in what he perceived as an undemocratic act Nishtar went into opposition. In 1956, when the first constitution was adopted, Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar was elected president of the party against the wishes of President Iskandar Mirza and then prime minister Chaudhry Mohammad Ali.

He subsequently took over the leadership of the Muslim League party and the League was expected to do well in West Pakistan in the planned 1959 elections but unfortunately he died before elections.

Abdur Rab Nishtar died on 14 February 1958 in Karachi. Nishtar Medical College and Nishtar Hospital in the city of Multan are named in his honor. Nishtar Park and Nishtar Road in Karachi are named after him.

He was buried at Mazar-e-Quaid near the Tomb of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan to acknowledge his services in the cause of Pakistan.