Sikandar Hayat Khan (Azad Kashmir politician)

Born into an eminent political family of Domaal Rajputs from Kashmir, Khan was the son of Sardar Fateh Muhammad Khan Karailvi, famous for his role in one of the first major uprisings against the Dogra regime in 1931. His father led the protest against a tax on salt imposed by the Maharaja's regime. Sardar Fateh Muhammad Khan Karailvi along with Baba-e-Poonch Col Khan Muhammad Khan were the only two elected members of the Jammu Kashmir Legislative Assembly Called "Praja Sabha" from Poonch District for 12 consecutive years from 1934-46.{{cite book |last1=Sharma |first1=Surinder Kumar |last2=ul Hassan |first2=Yaqoob |last3=Behuria |first3=Ashok |date=2019 |title=Pakistan Occupied Kashmir: Politics, Parties and Personalities |url=https://idsa.in/system/files/book/pok_book-2019.pdf |location=Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses |publisher=Pentagon Press LLP |page=213 |isbn=978-93-86618-67-2}}

Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan received his early schooling in his native village of Karela in Fatehpur Thakiala, now in District Kotli, and in Poonch city. He went on to study at Gordon College (Rawalpindi), graduating in 1956 before going on to the University Law College in Lahore to obtain a law degree in 1958.

After formally joining the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, he ran for membership in the Kotli council, a position he occupied for eight years, during which he was also elected the President of Bar Association, Kotli.{{cn|date=April 2021}} In 1970, he was elected to the Azad Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly and became the Revenue Minister in 1972.

He returned to office from his constituency in every election held in Azad Kashmir between 1970 and 2001, barring the years when he was President of Azad Kashmir.{{cn|date=April 2021}} His brother Sardar Muhammad Naeem Khan{{cite web |url=http://www.pmajk.gov.pk/CV_naeem_khan.asp |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2008-07-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209165427/http://www.pmajk.gov.pk/CV_naeem_khan.asp |archivedate=2012-02-09 }} served as a member from that area during that period.

He served as acting President of the Jammu & Kashmir Muslim Conference in the 1976–78 period and was elected President in 1978, a position he held until 1988. In 1985, he was elected Prime Minister of AJK and served until 1990. He headed the opposition in the Assembly until 1991, when he was elected President of AJK for a five-year term. On 25 July 2001, he was sworn in as Prime Minister of AJK for a second time, serving another five-year term. Khan initially retired from active politics in July 2006. However, he later played a major role in introducing Pakistan Muslim League (N) in AJK for which he was given the position of Senior Vice President of PML-(N) in 2011.{{cite news |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/138285-Nawaz-names-Farooq-Haider-as-AJK-PM |title=Nawaz names Farooq Haider as AJK PM |website=The News |first=Muhammad Saleh|last=Zaafir |date=28 July 2016 |accessdate=5 April 2021}}

He quit PML-(N) in February 2021 and joined the Muslim Conference as head of the party.{{cite web |url=https://www.24newshd.tv/13-Feb-2021/sardar-sikandar-hayat-quits-pml-n-joins-muslim-conference-as-supreme-leader |title=Sardar Sikandar Hayat quits PML-N, joins Muslim Conference as supreme leader |date=13 February 2021 |accessdate=5 April 2021}}

On 9 October 2021, Hayat, who was diabetic and a cardiac patient, died in his hometown; aged 87.{{cite news |title=Veteran Kashmiri leader Sikandar Hayat dies |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1651161/veteran-kashmiri-leader-sikandar-hayat-dies |work=Dawn |date=October 10, 2021}}

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{{s-bef|before=Abdul Hamid Khan}}

{{s-ttl|title= Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir |years=1985–1990}}

{{s-aft|after= Raja Mummtaz Hussain Rathore}}

{{s-bef|before=Sardar Mohammad Abdul Qayyum Khan }}

{{s-ttl|title= President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir |years=1991–1996 }}

{{s-aft|after=Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan }}

{{s-bef|before= Barrister Sultan Mahmood}}

{{s-ttl|title= Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir |years=2001–2006}}

{{s-aft|after= Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan}}

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{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20130715035603/http://www.pmajk.gov.pk/former%20PMs.asp Prime Ministers of Azad Jammu and Kashmir]
• [http://www.ajk.gov.pk/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2875&Itemid=114 Presidents of Azad Jammu and Kashmir]
• [http://www.ajk.gov.pk Government of Azad Kashmir]

{{Presidents of Azad Kashmir}}

{{Prime Ministers of Azad Kashmir}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Sikandar Hayat}}

Category:People from Poonch District, Pakistan

Category:1934 births

Category:2021 deaths

Category:Presidents of Azad Kashmir

Category:Prime ministers of Azad Kashmir

Category:Pahari Pothwari people

Category:Diabetes-related deaths

Category:Government Gordon College alumni

Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Punjab, Pakistan