Omar Asghar Khan
Dr. Khan speaking at a conference
Born	3 July 1953
Died	25 June 2002 (2002-06-26) (aged 48) Karachi, Pakistan
Nationality	Pakistan
Fields	Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Institutions	-Government of Pakistan: Federal Minister for Environment, Local Government & Rural Development, Labor, Manpower, and Overseas Pakistanis (1999-2001) -University of the Punjab (1980-1983) -Pakistan Army (1971-1973)
Alma mater	University of Cambridge (M.Phil.) Essex University (B.A.)
Known for	Social Activism

Omar Asghar Khan (3 July 1953 - 25 June 2002) was a Pakistani social activist, social scientist, economist and politician.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Education, Career in Academia and Pakistan Army 3 Political Activism 4 Work as Federal Minister under General Musharraf's Interim Government 5 Death 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Early life

The son of Amina Shamsi (from Delhi) and Air Marshal (retd) Mohammad Asghar Khan, Omar belonged to an Afridi (Pashtun) family from Tirah Khyber Agency which settled in Kashmir, and then after partition, in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Omar started his education from Peshawer Middle School, continuing in Habib Public School, Karachi, when his father retired from the PAF (Pakistan Air Force) and became Chairperson of PIA (Pakistan International Airlines). His schooling completed in APS (Abbottabad Public School) where he did his FSC. Omar excelled in sports in these institutions; "In his school days he was well-known for his exceptional sporting talents. He captained the school's swimming & hockey."^[1] Omar had a lively sense of humor and kind, gentle temperament.

[edit] Education, Career in Academia and Pakistan Army

Omar joined the Pakistan Army in 1971 and left it at the rank of a captain in 1973 because of the military action in Baluchistan by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He then gained a Bachelors Degree in Economics from the University of Essex, and a M.Phil. in Economics from the University of Cambridge, before returning to Pakistan in 1979. From 1980-83 he taught economics at the University of the Punjab in Lahore. According to Sungi, Omar's popular efforts to promote progressive political thought among students instigated a physical attack on him by the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba. In 1983, General Zia-ul-Haq's repressive regime ordered Omar's dismissal from the Punjab University.

[edit] Political Activism

After his dismissal from the university, Omar joined his father, retired Air Marshal Asghar Khan’s political party, the Tehreek-I-Istiqlal. In 1988 and 1990 he lost the national elections. Omar established/conceptualized many social organizations in the country:

• In 1982 he established the Pakistan Institute of Labor Education and Research.
• In 1987 he established SEBCON: Socio-Economic and Business Consultants.
• In 1989 he established the NGO: Sungi Development Foundation.
• In 1998 he conceptualized and initiated the People’s Assemblies Process.

According to Professor Pervez Hoodbhoy:

“

He, (Omar) and the organization he founded, Sungi, stood up resolutely to hostile maulvis opposed to education of girls and against the timber mafia in Hazara. As a member of Pervez Musharraf’s cabinet, he was a voice for the poor and disenfranchised. Omar’s achievements were extraordinary in a society so hostile to change and forward movement. He succeeded far better than most, with his unique mix of idealism and pragmatism. Many of us have our own reasons for being grateful to Omar. He was an open, caring, and courteous person who I had never seen being rude to anyone. I am deeply grateful to Omar that he encouraged me to speak and write about General Zia’s fraudulent Islamic science at the peak of that repressive dictatorship.[2]

”

Among the major tasks he carried out as the head of Sungi was the fight for the settlement of the affected people of Tarbela Dam. He did a commendable job to stop deforestation in the Hazara division, (hence making an enemy of the timber mafia), and prepared different studies for the most deprived sections of the society, especially women, labourers and farmers.

The target areas of Sungi in the Hazara division were Haripur, Balakot, Kaghan and other far-flung areas, where, on a partnership basis, it developed a chain of small NGOs working in different villages of Hazara. Sungi was awarded the 1996 United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific Award for its exemplary work in the field of human resource development.

[edit] Work as Federal Minister under General Musharraf's Interim Government

His works benefited him when Omar joined General Pervaz Musharraf’s cabinet as Federal Minister for Environment, Local Government & Rural Development, Labor, Manpower, and Overseas Pakistanis after a bloodless coup in October 1999. According to some circles,^[who?] the local body's plan^[which?] was the brainchild of Omar Asghar Khan, who as minister, did the spadework.^{[citation needed]} In his earlier days, he was very close to labour leaders and organizations. His policies in the environmental field went a long way in protecting the environment.

In December 2001 he resigned from the cabinet and launched a new political party, the Qaumi Jamhoori Party, to contest the general elections, but he died on 25 June 2002, before the elections.

[edit] Death

Omar's death at the age of 48, (just a week before his 49th birthday), caused severe shock and devestation amongst his supporters. He was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his in-laws' residence in Karachi.^[3] Khan's family continues to insist he was murdered, though the authorities still label his death a "suicide".^[4] His body was flown from Karachi to Islamabad, and then taken to Abbottabad, where he was buried at his family graveyard. His funeral in Abbottabad witnessed an unprecedented number of attendees for that town. It was thronged not just by his large family, countless friends, NGO workers, and political leaders, but also by thousands of adoring men and women from poor villages scattered all over the North West Frontier Province, particularly in the Hazara region where Omar had done a lot of development work.

He is survived by a widow and three children. Omar's widow, Samina, now heads Sungi, where she helped set up the crafts program while Omar was still alive. His eldest child, Yasmeen, works in the media. She is followed by Abdullah, who is studying architecture. The youngest son, Mustafa, is at Cambridge University. Air Marshal Asghar Khan remains the head of their family, and his and Begum Amina Asghar Khan's home in Islamabad remains the home of Omar's widow and children.

Omar often recited the touching poetry of Faiz Ahmad Faiz's "Hum Dekhain Gay", and this became a regular feature of his political "jalsas" and meetings.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Sungi Home Page
• Battling Against the Power Elite - Omar Asghar Khan, Green Pioneers, un.org.pk
• Profile, Omar Asghar Khan Development Foundation, www.oakdf.org.pk
• Memoriam, Newsline, July 2002, www.newsline.com.pk
• Omar Asghar Khan, the man with a vision, Dawn.com, 26 June 2002
• Kashmir in conflict: India, Pakistan and the unending war, Victoria Schofield, books.google.com
• A twist to the Gilgit Rebellion, 16 February 2006, osmaniac.blogspot.com