The Political Career, Contributions, and Unresolved Assassination of Hayat Muhammad Khan Sherpao at the University of Peshawar

Abstract

In the decade of 70’s the law-and-order situation became worst in Pakistan in general and in
NWFP (Now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) in particular, especially the political violence greatly increased in which number of prominent political leaders and workers lost their lives. The situation reached to the extent that educational institution was used for such political assassination. Hayat Muhammad Khan Sherpao the exgovernor and member of federal cabinet was one of the victims of the political violence of that era. On one hand his political murder not only initiated legal and political disputes between the then prominent political parties like Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and National Awami Party (NAP) which continued till the end of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s era during which NAP was banned and NAP leaders were mentally and physically tortured. On the other hand, his murder created an environment of unrest in institutions of higher studies. The lack of research on political murder in educational institutions like the University of Peshawar is a crucial oversight. Its implications on the academic atmosphere of the university in particular and its impacts on Pakistan’s politics in general must be analyzed. This study attempts to highlight the life, political career, and services of Hayat Muhammad Khan Sherpao as governor of NWFP and his merciless assassination at the University of Peshawar in the hope that such sad incidents will be taken seriously by the state and law enforcement agencies and the state will try to stop the use of educational institutions for such atrocities, especially for the political murders.