Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal Gujjar (Chief of Gujjar Tribe)
Chaurdhy Muhammad Iqbal Gujjar was born in 1919 in Chalianwala Gujrat. The family of Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal is at the forefront of the Pakistani politics for five decades. Right from the freedom movement, this family has always played its essential role in the politics and registered itself. Similarly, members of this family have also been the part and parcel of the bureaucracy of the country. Muhammad Iqbal’s father Chaudhry Khan Muhammad Gujjar was the Zaildar and Honourary Majistrate of his Native town, chalianwala, Mandibahaudin. Ch Muhammad Iqbal was chief of Gujjar Tribe, Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal (late) was the preacher of the social services and was not only equally famous in the four provinces of Pakistan, but also amongst the masses of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the northern areas of Pakistan served the people throughout his life. He was full of modesty, had a down to earth personality with a strong character which made him popular in the people. He owned the “Deras” (hospitality venues) across the country. Famous anchorperson of the country, Tariq Aziz had once asked the question in his television program, “Neelaam Ghar” about a personality who used to run the “Deras” all over Pakistan and named Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal as the correct answer. Chaudhry Muihammad Iqbal always remained an honorable and impartial figure. He was “bait” (spiritually associated) from Khauja of Ajmair Sharif.
He was also opening milk-juice Sabeel at Data Darbar on occasion of the Annual Urs celebration Hazrat Data Gang Bakhsh (RA) in Lahore.
The devotees of Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal expressed their views in verses as per following;
Lo! Keep his name beyond furthers
Keep Iqbal at the highest rivulet
The ideal death is for one who is remembered
Though, all souls will be back from the earth
His devotees celebrate his anniversary every year all over the country, recite the Holy Quran and pray for his soul as the course. His followers have continued the movement of the social services.
Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal (late) was born in the famous village, chalianwala of the district Mandibahaudin. He had three brothers and six sisters. He started taking part in politics in 1958, before the Ayub Khan’s era. He became a Basic Democracy (BD) member at first, and then in 1962, was elected as the Member of the West Pakistan assembly. He was siding “Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan” in the Ayub era. He organized a fifty Miles long rally in which the first vehicle was at Jhelum and the last one was at Gujarat. Ayub khan immediately ordered the Martial Law after witnessing the rally.
Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal was once again elected as MNA of the West Pakistan in 1965 and also remained the member of The Railway Board in the said tenure. In 1977, he was elected as member of Majlis e Shora in 1983; he was elected as the Member of the Provincial assembly (MPA) in Punjab. Further in 1985, he was again elected as MNA and subsequently in 1986, he defeated Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in the election and became the Chairman, Development Board, Gujarat. His Gujar nation, comprising some forty millions people unanimously declared him the head of their nation at Faisalabad and put the turban of honor at his head during the convention. Hence, he announced his formal retirement from the politics and confined himself to the services of the poor. Ch Muhammad Iqbal Gujjar was work hard for Gujjar community awareness & development. He was died in march18, 2001.
Ch Muhammad Iqbal Gujjar has two sons & one daughter.
His elder son Chaudhry Muhammad Jafar Iqbal became the head of the Gujjar nation (Chief of Gujjar Trbe) after the death of his father.Chaudhry Muhammad Jafar Iqbal, who is in fact, the son of the city of Rahim Yar Khan, was born on December 25th, 1955. He completed his basic education from Sadiq public School, Bahalpur and has graduated from Government College Lahore. He started taking part in the politics from the municipal level and was elected as member, District council, Rahim Yar Khan in 1983 with the record votes. In 1988, he was elected as MPA of the Punjab Assembly and became the Adviser of the Chef Minister, Mian Muhammad Nawaz sharif for Establishment S &GAD. Once again in the year 1990, he was elected as MPA, Punjab and held the office of the Provincial Minister for Health and Population Welfare in the cabinet of Chief Minister, Mr Ghulam Haider Vain whereas later in the year 1993, Secretary, Parliamentary Opposition Party and Provincial Assembly Punjab. In the general elections of 1993, he was elected as MNA and remained the Secretary, Parliamentary Opposition Party National Assembly. Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was the then Leader of the Opposition. In the general elections of 1997, he was once again elected as MNA and was elected as Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly on February 19th, 1997. In the year 1999, he got the office of the additional Secretary General PML (N) as the result of his success in the party elections. He is a trust-worthy companion of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
In the year 1990, his younger son, Chaudhry Nasir Iqbal, who was elected as MNA after the death of his father from the constituency of Chilianwala and was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Railways and later, as Chairman, Standing Committee for Finance in the same cabinet.
His daughter in law Begum Ishrat Ashraf was born in December 31, 1956 in Hyderabad sindh Pakistan she was elected as MNA in the general elections held in the year 1985. In the year 1988, she held the office of the Secretary General, women wing, Pakistan Muslim League. In the year 1990, she was elected as the President, PML (N) Women wing. She was also elected as MNA in the General Elections held in the year 2002.2008.She is the wife of Chaudhry Muhammad Jaffar Iqbal Gujjar Chief of Gujjar Tribe.
His granddaughter Mrs Zaib Jaffar was elected as Member, District Council, Rahim Yar Khan in the year 1998 and later, elected as Vice Chairperson, District Council. She contested in the General Elections of 2002 from the Constituency of NA-193, Khanpur on the ticket of PML (N). In the year 2003, she held the office of the Vice President, PML (N), Women wing Punjab from Rahim yar khan.
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