Former bureaucrat Roedad Khan passes away at 101
Pakistan
During his long career, Khan served with five presidents and three prime ministers
- Roedad Khan served on key positions in his career
- He became a political analyst after retirement and penned three books
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Former bureaucrat Roedad Khan passed away at the age of 101 here on Sunday.
Since his entry into the Pakistani Civil Services in 1949, he has held a number of positions, including those of chief secretary of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, managing director of PTV, information secretary during Yahya Khan's regime, secretary ministry of labour and tourism, interior secretary of Pakistan, secretary general ministry of interior, federal minister of accountability, and adviser to the prime minister and president.
A Profile
Roedad Khan was born in a small village of Mardan, North-West Frontier Province, British India, to an ethnic Pashtun family of the Yusufzai tribe.
In 1939, he graduated from local high school and went to attend the Forman Christian College and gained BA in English Literature in 1942. The atmosphere in the college was liberal, tolerant and progressive.
Respecting his father's wishes, Khan attended the Aligarh Muslim University and gained MA in English history (literature and linguistics) in 1946.
Upon his return to Mardan, Khan taught history at the Islamia College, Peshawar and opted for Pakistani citizenship in 1947.
In 1949, he joined the elite Pakistan Administrative Service, then known as DMG, of the Central Superior Services and started his career in 1951 as the secretary of chief minister of Sindh.
His career was at peak when he served with Chief Martial Law Administrator Gen Ziaul Haq and was responsible for the country's internal security while intelligence efforts were built up to sabotage Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan.
As part of Gen Zia’s policy to enhance the secret establishment, Khan served as its elite member. After the fall of communism, he officially retired from Pakistan's politics and civil services and became a political analyst.
He became the secretary general of Pakistan, the highest rank in Pakistani bureaucracy (could only be achieved after retirement if you had served in BPS-22, position not in place anymore).
Khan also held major public offices under Ghulam Ishaq Khan.
He authored three books – Pakistan - A Dream Gone Sour; The American Papers; and Pakistan A Slave State.
During his long career, Khan served with five presidents – Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, Ziaul Haq and Ghulam Ishaq Khan – and three prime ministers.
He turned 100 on Sept 28, 2023.
His funeral prayer will be offered after Zuhar and he will be laid to rest in H-11 graveyard.
