Fida Mohammad Khan
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Khan Fida Mohammad Khan was a former governor of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan.
Fida Muhammad Khan was a veteran Muslim Leaguer and former Governor of NWFP. He had also served as an ex senator, federal minister, provincial minister, MNA and was the head of Pakistan Muslim League. He had represented Pakistan in UN also at an early age of 27.
Khan Fida Muhammad Khan was born in 1919.He was the son of Khan Tehmas Khan, a political Tehsildar. He was among the three siblings. He had two other sisters, one of them is married to Mian Akhtar who is an Ex GM Wapda and the other sister was married to Mufti Masood Jan, who was a section Officer during the 40’s in the British India. He has an adopted daughter(Niece) who is married to Justice (retd) Azam Khan of PHC and who is also serving as the President of Muslim League(Q) lawyers Forum. He studied in Peshawar and graduated from Edwards College in the city. Later, he obtained an LLB degree from the Aligarh Muslim College in India. As a young man, Fida Mohammad Khan took part in the independence movement. As Pakistan Muslim League (PML) Peshawar chapter president, he played a role in the 1947 referendum in the NWFP in which majority of voters opted for their province to become part of Pakistan. The controversial referendum was rejected and boycotted by nationalists led by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. He also remained active in the Muslim League National Guards and Muslim Students Federation. He subsequently served as central and provincial president of the PML. Twice during his political career, Fida Mohammad Khan was elected member of the Senate. However, he never contested an assembly election. During General Ziaul Haq's martial law regime, he served as federal housing minister. He remained governor of the NWFP from 1986 to1988. He had also visited US on the invitation of Ex President Jimmy Carter during the eighties. Fida Mohammad was fond of narrating the story of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah's visit to Khyber Agency. Due to opposition by the Congress and its ally, Khudai Khidmatgar movement, Jinnah's trip to Khyber Agency was considered risky. But Fida Mohammad Khan volunteered to drive Jinnah to Landikotal, where his father Tehmas Khan was serving as political Tehsildar. This was a historic trip as tribesmen gave a warm welcome to the Quaid-i-Azam and announced their allegiance to the Muslim League. Quaid-i-Azam was driven to Torkham on the border with Afghanistan and brought back by Fida Mohammad Khan to Peshawar. For the young Fida, this was a memorable event and he never missed an opportunity to narrate the story. Though Fida Mohammad Khan always remained a Muslim Leaguer, he did join one or the other factions of the PML on different occasions. Once he joined the Nawaz Sharif faction and was made its head after a political coup removed Mohammad Khan Junejo as president of the PML. Veteran Muslim Leaguer and former Governor of NWFP, Fida Mohammad Khan died on 20th of December 2007 at the age of 89. He was a very honest politician and was never involved in any corruption during his whole career. People from all over Pakistan respected him because of his integrity. His Nimaz-e-Janaza was held at the spacious Golf Course ground with full state honours. It was attended by people from different walks of life. Political workers, mostly old Muslim Leaguers, were among the mourners. He was buried in a graveyard outside Sarki Gate in old Peshawar.
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by Syed Usman Ali Shah |
Governor of the North-West Frontier Province 27 August 1987- 16 June 1988 |
Succeeded by Amir Gulistan Janjua |