Ex-AJK president and PM Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan passes away

Former Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) president and prime minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan has passed away on Saturday, ARY News reported.

Sikandar Hayat Khan was reportedly hospitalised and under treatment for a heart ailment. He was 87 years old.

The former prime minister had left the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and joined the Muslim Conference in 2021 before the AJK general elections.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed deep grief and sorrow over the sad demise of Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan.

“Saddened to learn of the passing of Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan, former President of AJK as well as former PM of AJK. His contribution to the Kashmir cause & service to the Kashmiri people was invaluable. My prayers & condolences go to his family,” the PM wrote in a post shared on Twitter.

Saddened to learn of the passing of Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan, former President of AJK as well as former PM of AJK. His contribution to the Kashmir cause & service to the Kashmiri people were invaluable. My prayers & condolences go to his family.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 9, 2021

AJK Prime Minister Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi has announced three-day mourning over the demise of former prime minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan.

In a condolence message, Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that Sardar Sikandar Hayat as prime minister and president of Azad Kashmir had raised his voice for the rights of Jammu and Kashmir and against the state barbarism of India.

سابق وزیر اعظم و صدر آزاد کشمیر سردار سکندر حیات خان کی وفات پر دکھ اور افسوس ہوا۔ سکندر حیات خان کی خدمات کو ہمیشہ یاد رکھا جائے گا۔اللہ تعالیٰ مرحوم کے درجات بلند فرماۓ اور سوگوار خاندان کو اس ناقابل تلافی نقصان کو برداشت کرنے کے لیے صبر وجمیل عطاء فرماۓ۔ pic.twitter.com/AZgvQnCwOi

— Asad Qaiser (@AsadQaiserPTI) October 9, 2021

Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan was born into a famous political family of Kashmir. 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.

in 1991, he was again elected as 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.

Khan quit PML-(N) in February 2021 and joined the Muslim Conference.