Sheikh Mohammad Rashid
Sheikh Mohammad Rashid | |
---|---|
Minister of Agriculture | |
In office 24 December 1971 – 22 October 1974 | |
Prime Minister | Zulfikar Ali Bhutto |
Personal details | |
Born | Sheikh Mohammad Rashid 1915 Pakistan Peoples Party |
Occupation | Political leader, political activist |
Cabinet | Bhutto administration (1971–74) |
Sheikh Mohammad Rashid, (1915 – 12 September 2002) one of the founding fathers of the
But after the PPP's return to power, following long years of the military rule in the 1980s, Sheikh Rashid had gradually felt alienated within the party, despite being its one time Senior Vice Chairman.[4]
Early life and career
Sheikh Mohammad Rashid was born in 1915 in
After the
In 1967, he joined hands with the late
He was elected twice as member of the
Sheikh Mohammad Rashid remained close to the then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who treated him as his most senior cabinet colleague, perhaps to retain a balance between the progressive and conservative elements within the party. It was during the period of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq as the military ruler, that Sheikh Rashid's role as an ideologue for thousands of party workers, was boosted.
Once the Bhutto government was overthrown by
Out of tune with Benazir Bhutto
Sheikh Mohammad Rashid failed to get re-elected in the 1988 national election. However, the PPP's return to power in 1988 marked the beginning of his gradual alienation with Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who regarded his socialist ideals as being increasingly out of tune with contemporary trends. Despite ideological differences with the leadership, Sheikh Mohammad Rashid, unlike many other fellow party members, remained steadfast with his commitment to the party and never joined any other political group.[4] He was refused a PPP party ticket to contest the 1990 elections in Pakistan.[3][2]
Death and legacy
Sheikh Mohammad Rashid had asthma for a long time and finally died in Lahore, aged 87, on 12 September 2002. His survivors included his wife Shakeela Khanum and his four sons from his previous marriage.[1][2]
An uncompromising socialist
In the early years of Pakistan, there is an often told story of a debate on the party's drafted charter that
Sheikh Mohammad Rashid was ridiculed in the early 1970s for trying to bring a generic drugs scheme to Pakistan.[2] Although his idea was proven valid later because similar generic drug schemes were later implemented in many countries including Egypt, Bangladesh and it was endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO).[3] Now some people feel in Pakistan that his idea was in common public's interest.[4]
Sheikh Rashid was among the first to advise Bhutto to accept Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Six Point Program which later became Six point movement to achieve greater autonomy for East Pakistan. This movement finally resulted in separation of former East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh in 1971.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Obituary of Sheikh Mohammad Rashid on The Guardian (UK newspaper) Published 6 November 2002, Retrieved 6 March 2023
- ^ a b c d e f g Mazhar Abbas and Muhammad Abrar Zahoor (24 January 2021). "A principled politician". The News International (newspaper). Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Senior PPP leader passes away (Obituary and profile of Sheikh Mohammad Rashid) on Dawn (newspaper), Published 13 September 2002, Retrieved 6 March 2023
- ^ a b c d e The fighter Sheikh Rashid was Dawn (newspaper), Published 12 September 2003, Retrieved 6 March 2023