Former AJK PM Sardar Sikandar Hayat passes away 

Former Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir Sardar Sikandar Hayat passed away on Saturday, reported 24News HD TV channel. 

Sardar Sikandar Hayat was undergoing treatment at Kotli Hospital. He had twice been elected as the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir. 

Sardar Sikandar had twice held the post of President of Azad Kashmir as well. He was the longest-serving Prime Minister of AJK.

Sardar Sikandar Hayat was born 1 June 1934 to an eminent political family of Kashmir. He was the son of Sardar Fateh Muhammad Khan Karelvi, famous for his role in one of the first major uprisings against the Dogra regime in 1931. His father led the protest against a tax on salt imposed by the Maharaja's regime. 

Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan received his early schooling in his native village of Karela in Fatehpur Thakiala, now in District Kotli, and in Poonch city. He went on to study at Gordon College Rawalpindi, graduating in 1956 before going on to the University Law College in Lahore to obtain a law degree in 1958.

After formally joining the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, he ran for membership in the Kotli council, a position he occupied for eight years, during which he was also elected the President of Bar Association, Kotli. In 1970, he was elected to the Azad Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly and became the Revenue Minister in 1972. 

Sardar Sikandar returned to office from his constituency in every election held in Azad Kashmir between 1970 and 2001.

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. He headed the opposition in the Assembly until 1991 when he was elected 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. 

He quit PML-N in February 2021 and joined the Muslim Conference as its supreme head.

Reporter: Awais Kayani