Malik Allah Yar Khan Khunda — A great scion of politics
“It is better to lose with grace than to steal a victory with tactics,”
the person with this saying and motto for life must have a position
higher than the common lore.
Malik Allah Yar Khan Khunda lived
through the thorny terrain of politics like a person who is passing
through the bushes not to let his dress entangle or even touch with the
hooked branches. Therefore, he waded through this land with a clean
chit. He earned repute as a politician par excellence. He served on
some of the most lucrative posts like Chairman Public Accounts
Committee of the National Assembly but non-could point a finger at his
integrity and honesty.
Once he got a chance to be appointed as
chief minister of the Punjab but the palace intrigues hampered his
accession to this respectable position, as the people at the helm of
affairs could not tolerate such an honest person being the CM of the
province.
From the Ayub regime to that of the present rulers, he
continued to make his way to the Parliament which showed how much he
enjoyed popularity and fame among his voters and without incessant
service to the people no one could be respected among the people for so
long a period. From Ayub Khan to Pervez Musharraf, the leaders
continued to pay courtesy visits to his rather humble residence at
Khunda, a small village in Attock district.
Malik Allah Yar
earned veritable repute and recognition not only among the scion of the
area but also he had prestige at the national level. He was born in
1927. His father was the chief of the Khunda tribe and his mother
hailed from the family of former Amir of Afghanistan Dost Muhammad Khan.
Despite
having so high profiled background he never boasted off his lineage
rather he had been very humble and meek throughout his life. He
believed that the personal gains were the real achievement in life.
He
got his early education from middle school Khunda, did his matric from
Denny’s High School, Rawalpindi, intermediate from Gordon College,
Rawalpindi. Afterwards, he moved to Gujrat and graduated from Zamindara
College. Later, he obtained law degree from Law College, Lahore. He
started his practical life as a lawyer at Attock then he opted for
entering into national politics.
In 1956, he was elected first
time member of the legislature and had the portfolio of jail and
labour. Afterwards till 2007, he continued to enjoy some of the key
slots in successive regimes. He also served as senior Punjab minister
along with other important assignments. Later, he became Chairman
Public accounts Committee.
With his death on 5th April 2008 an
era of principled and even-handed politics came to an end. He was the
torchbearer of truthfulness, honesty, faithfulness, nobility, civility
and mannerism in the politics. He took delight in serving the people
irrespective of their stature from the high to low, from the haves to
have-nots particularly he delighted to help the poor and the
downtrodden, who he believed required more of his attention and care.
He always believed in clear politics, which was his hobby.
He
enjoyed in serving the people. He seldom realized that he was defeated.
He remained composed with victory and used to bear the defeat with
grace and courage. He never got involved his political opponents in
criminal cases. His voters had deep association with him. He always
remained ‘Rightist’ in the politics. He narrated many stories of his
devoted workers and voters.
In a remote village of his
constituency a daughter of his voter died on the day of polling, but he
did not make it public so that the polling process might not be
disturbed, and lest Malik Sahib lost, so he declared the death of his
daughter after the polling process was over.
Malik Sahib was
strictly against nepotism and jobbery. He did not go for backing even
his close associates when he found him in the wrong. I was once
transferred by the principal and when talked to Malik Sahib and gave
the reasons, he said you should be respectable to the principal.
Later
on I came to know, I was wrong, the principal had all the nobility, I
had taken the point in another context. He was very simple but decent
gentleman and a high degree disciplinarian. He himself was disciplined
and expected the same from others. He always remained neat and clean,
even a blot of mud on the dress or fly on the dinning table was
intolerable for him.
He had his own mode of doing things. Once a
lamb with bleeding wound in feat appeared before him in the lawn. He
got up from his chair, caught it and called for an employee (I was
thinking that he will get a dose), Malik Sahib asked him to bring
spirit and bandage and he did its dressing with his own hand, and did
not let the servant to do that.
He had had the excellent power
of forbearing the extreme pain and loss. Even in his last moment, when
he was undergoing an agony, he did not let realize any one the
intensity of pain. At midnight, he breathed his last and so peacefully
that even the doctor sitting beside him could not sense.
Malik
Sahib used to say that he never thought about death and senility. But
today he was deporting to the abode of perpetual pleasure, having a
smile on his hoary visage. He was looking proud having white dress
decorated with floral wreath.
The element of bravery and valour
were profound in his person, in which his contemporary leader and
feudal lords were devoid, as they preferred to live in the escort of
gunman or guards.
Once some agency informed his sons that the
life of Malik Sahib was in danger and he must have his guards with him.
His sons, without letting him know, got seated the guards with guns in
his vehicle. When he was going to sit, he looked at the guards and
asked for it, who got them seated and in such a posture. He was
explained the whole story. He called his son and said if he had ever
heard or seen him threatening to any one, why then his life was at
threat. The agencies were just frightening him and checking his moral
courage. He was not frightened and dislodged the gunman from seats.
He
had a refined taste of poetry, literature and history. He himself tried
in poetry when he used to be the Editor of College Magazine.
Whenever
a verse was quoted before him, he rightly pointed out the lacuna in it,
if there was any. He got very good collection of books at his home and
even in his lodge at Islamabad. Majority of the writers used to gift
him their books.
He is survived by two sons and a wife. The
elder Malik Shehryar Khan is a Civil Engineer and Ad Secretary in
Ministry of Science and Technology, Islamabad.
The younger Malik
Aitbar Khan ex-DMG Officer and now MPA from Khunda. His wife is sister
of Sardar Sarfriz Khan (well known landlord of Khunda and ex-MNA) and
close relative of District Nazim Chakwal Sardar Abbass.
Originally published at : http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=139354
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