Sheikh Rashid launches autobiography to mark 50 years in politics
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Federal Minister for Railways and chief of Awami Muslim League Sheikh Rashid Ahmad launched his autobiography titled “Lal Haveli Say Aqwamay Muttahida Tak” (Lal Haveli to United Nations) on Sunday.
A ceremony in this regard was held at a hotel in Lahore, reported 24NewsHD TV Sunday. The book launch marks Sheikh Rashid’s 50 years in politics.
At the ceremony, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar, Law Minister Raja Basharat, Housing Minister Mian Mahmood-ur-Rasheed, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Liaqat Baloch, Mian Manzoor Ahmed Watto and senior journalists Mujeebur Rehman Shami, Sohail Warraich and Arif Nizami were present.
Speaking at the ceremony, Sheikh Rashid said he would write another book before his death. On the occasion, he recounted his political feats and said he served the nation with sincerity. He said that he chose September 6 for launch of his book for two reasons: Defence Day and his mother’s death anniversary.
Addressing the ceremony, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar congratulated Sheikh Rashid on launch of his book. The governor acknowledged that Sheikh Rashid predicted four decades ago about his entry in Pakistani politics when he himself had no clue about this to happen.
Chaudhry Sarwar said in a lighter vein that Sheikh Rashid did not tell the nation even at the launch of this book why he didn’t get married. He said he was looking for the answer, but to no avail. He said that Sheikh Rashid kept this secret to himself.
Sheikh Rashid is known for his witty comments and political predictions during public talk and interviews on TV channels. He began his political career as a student in 1985. He was elected MNA for the first time from Rawalpindi in the elections, which were held on non-party basis.
In the 1988 general elections, he was re-elected MNA on Islami Jamhoori Ittehad’s ticket and in 1990 he was re-elected MNA on IJI ticket and became the Sports Minister. In the 1993 general elections, he was re-elected MNA for the fourth time on the PML-N ticket, while in 1997 he was elected MNA once again. In 2002, PML-N refused to allot the party ticket to Sheikh Rashid.
However, Sheikh Rashid was re-elected MNA for the sixth time from NA-55 (Rawalpindi) as an independent candidate. He also served as Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting in Zafarullah Khan Jamali’s cabinet in November 2002.
In the 2008 general elections, Sheikh Rashid contested elections on a PML-Q ticket, but he lost the election for the first time for both Rawalpindi constituencies, NA-55 and NA-56, to PML-N candidates.
