Muhammad Ayub Khuhro

Muhammad Ayub Khuhro (Urdu: محمد ایوب کھوڑو‎) (14 August 1901 – 1980) was a politician from Sindh, Pakistan, who became its first Chief Minister after independence of Pakistan and subsequently serving two additional terms in the 1950s. He later became the Defence Minister in the government of Prime Minister Feroz Khan Noon, before the imposition of martial law by General Ayub Khan.[1]

Ayub Khuhro
1st, 5th & 7th Chief Minister of Sindh
In office 16 August 1947 – 28 April 1948
Governor	Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah
Preceded by	Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah
Succeeded by	Pir Ilahi Bux
In office 25 March 1951 – 29 December 1951
Governor	Mian Aminuddin
Preceded by	Qazi Fazlullah Ubaidullah
Succeeded by	Governor's Rule
Minister of Defense
In office 9 April 1958 – 7 October 1958
Prime Minister	Feroz Khan Noon
Preceded by	Feroz Khan Noon
Succeeded by	Ayub Khan
Personal details
Born	14 August 1901
Died	1980 (aged 78–79)
Political party	Pakistan Muslim League

Khuhro was born into a landed family at Larkana in Sindh province of what was then British India in 1901. He entered politics in 1923 when he was elected to the Bombay Legislative Council from one of the three Larkana seats. In 1943, he was arrested in the murder case of Allah Bux Soomro, the then prime minister of Sindh. He opposed the separation of Karachi and handing it over to the central government, hence differences cropped up, and in 1948, he was dismissed from the office of the chief minister. From then onward and despite his occasional roles in national affairs, he was primarily identified with the politics and interests of Sindh.

In June 1948, cases against Khuhro for 60 allegations were initiated at Sindh Chief Court. In February 1949, Khuhro was sentenced for two and half years on allegation of typewriter theft. However, in appeal, chief court exonerated him from all charges. He played an important role and helped in the formation of One Unit. It is strange he supported Fatima Jinnah in the presidential election against Gen Ayub Khan. I contested elections of 1970 from Larkana and was defeated by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Later he gave up politics.

Hamida Khuhro, an academic, is his daughter and has written his biography.[1]

See also

• Khuhro

References

1. Robinson, Francis (July 1999). "Review of Mohammed Ayub Khuhro: A Life of Courage in Politics by Hamida Khuhro". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. Third. 9 (2): 326–328. doi:10.1017/s1356186300011275. JSTOR 25183701. (subscription required)

Further reading

• Khuhro, Hamida (1998). Mohammed Ayub Khuhro: a life of courage in politics. Ferozsons.