Shuja Khanzada: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Pakistani officer and politician (1943–2015)}}
{{Short description|Pakistani officer and politician (1943–2015)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=August 2015}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix   =
| honorific-prefix   =  
|name               = Shuja Khanzada
| name               = Shuja Khanzada
|native_name       = {{Nastaliq|شجاع خانزاده}}
| native_name         = {{Nastaliq|شجاع خانزاده}}
|native_name_lang   =
| native_name_lang   =  
|honorific-suffix   =
| honorific-suffix   =  
|image             =Shuja Khanzada.jpg
| image               = Shuja Khanzada.jpg
|imagesize         =
| imagesize           =  
|smallimage         = <!--If this is specified, "image" should not be.-->
| smallimage         = <!--If this is specified, "image" should not be.-->
|alt               =
| alt                 =  
|caption           =Khanzada as [[Captain (armed forces)|Captain]] of [[13th Lancers|PAVO Cavalry]], 1969
| caption             = Khanzada as [[Captain (armed forces)|Captain]] of [[13th Lancers|PAVO Cavalry]], 1969
|order             =
| order               =  
|office             = [[Government of Punjab, Pakistan|Home Minister of Punjab]]
| office             = [[Government of Punjab, Pakistan|Home Minister of Punjab]]
|term_start         = 14 October 2014
| term_start         = 14 October 2014
|term_end           = 16 August 2015
| term_end           = 16 August 2015
|appointer = [[Shehbaz Sharif]]
| appointer           = [[Shehbaz Sharif]]
|predecessor       =  
| predecessor         =  
|successor         =
| successor           =  
|office1            = [[Government of Punjab, Pakistan|Environment Protection Minister of Punjab]]
| office1            = [[Government of Punjab, Pakistan|Environment Protection Minister of Punjab]]
|term_start1        = 10 June 2013
| term_start1        = 10 June 2013
|term_end1          = 16 August 2015
| term_end1          = 16 August 2015
|appointer1 = [[Shehbaz Sharif]]
| appointer1         = [[Shehbaz Sharif]]
|predecessor1        =  
| predecessor1        =  
|successor1          =
| successor1          =  
|party              = [[Pakistan Muslim League (N)|PML (N)]] {{small|(since 2013)}}
| party              = [[Pakistan Muslim League (N)|PML (N)]] {{small|(2013-2015)}}
|otherparty         = [[Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf|PTI]] {{small|(1996–2002)}}<br/>[[Pakistan Muslim League (Q)|PML (Q)]] {{small|(2002–2007)}}
| otherparty         = [[Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf|PTI]] {{small|(1996–2002)}}<br/>[[Pakistan Muslim League (Q)|PML (Q)]] {{small|(2002–2007)}}
|birth_date         = {{birth date|df=y|1943|8|28}}
| birth_date         = {{birth date|df=y|1943|8|28}}
|birth_place       = [[Shadikhan]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab Province]], [[British India]]  
| birth_place         = [[Shadikhan]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab Province]], [[British India]]
|death_place       = [[Shadikhan]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]]
| death_place         = [[Attock]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]]
|death_date   = {{death date and age|df=y|2015|8|16|1943|8|28}}
| death_date         = {{death date and age|df=y|2015|8|16|1943|8|28}}
|nationality       = [[British India]]n (1943–1947)<br />[[Pakistani]] (1947–2015)
| nationality         = [[British India]]n (1943–1947)<br />[[Pakistani]] (1947–2015)
|alma_mater         = [[Islamia College University|Islamia College]]
| alma_mater         = [[Islamia College University|Islamia College]]
<!--Military service-->
<!--Military service-->| nickname           =  
|nickname           =
| allegiance         = {{PAK}}
|allegiance         ={{PAK}}
| branch             = {{army|PAK}}
|branch             ={{army|PAK}}
| serviceyears       = 1967–1994
|serviceyears       =1967–1994
| rank               = [[File:OF-5 Pakistan Army.svg|32px]] [[Colonel]]
|rank               =[[File:OF-5 Pakistan Army.svg|32px]] [[Colonel]]
| unit               = [[13th Lancers]]
|unit               = [[13th Lancers]]
| commands           =  
|commands           =  
| battles             = [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]<br />[[Siachen conflict]]
|battles           = [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]<br />[[Siachen conflict]]
| awards              = [[Hilal-e-Shujaat]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.samaa.tv/news/2016/03/president-to-confer-pakistan-civil-awards/|title=President to confer Pakistan Civil Awards &#124; SAMAA|website=Samaa TV}}</ref><br />[[File:Medal of Good Conduct Tamgha-e-Basalat.png|30px]] [[Tamgha-e-Basalat]]
|awards              =[[Hilal-e-Shujaat]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.samaa.tv/news/2016/03/president-to-confer-pakistan-civil-awards/|title=President to confer Pakistan Civil Awards &#124; SAMAA|website=Samaa TV}}</ref><br />[[File:Medal of Good Conduct Tamgha-e-Basalat.png|30px]] [[Tamgha-e-Basalat]]
| military_blank1     =  
|military_blank1   =
| military_data1     =  
|military_data1     =
| military_blank2     =  
|military_blank2   =
| military_data2     =  
|military_data2     =
| military_blank3     =  
|military_blank3   =
| military_data3     =  
|military_data3     =
| military_blank4     =  
|military_blank4   =
| children           = [[Jahangir Khanzada]] (son)
| children = [[Jahangir Khanzada]] (son)
| military_data4     =  
|military_data4     =
| military_blank5     =  
|military_blank5   =
| military_data5     =  
|military_data5     =
| death_cause         = [[Assassination]]
|death_cause = [[Assassination]]}}
}}
'''Shuja Khanzada''' ({{lang-ur|{{Nastaliq|شجاع خانزاده}}}}&lrm;; 28 August 1943 – 16 August 2015) was a Pakistani politician and [[Pakistan Army]] colonel, who served as the [[Government of Punjab, Pakistan|Home Minister]] of [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]] from 2014 until his assassination on 16 August 2015.<ref name="PA">{{cite news|url=http://www.pap.gov.pk/index.php/members/profile/en/19/450|title=Shuja Khanzada|work=Punjab Assembly|accessdate=16 August 2015}}</ref>
'''Shuja Khanzada''' ({{lang-ur|{{Nastaliq|شجاع خانزاده}}}}&lrm;; 28 August 1943 – 16 August 2015) was a Pakistani politician and [[Pakistan Army]] colonel, who served as the [[Government of Punjab, Pakistan|Home Minister]] of [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]] from 2014 until his assassination on 16 August 2015.<ref name="PA">{{cite news|url=http://www.pap.gov.pk/index.php/members/profile/en/19/450|title=Shuja Khanzada|work=Punjab Assembly|accessdate=16 August 2022}}</ref>


As an army officer, Khanzada fought in the [[1971 Indo-Pakistani war]], before partaking in the [[Siachen conflict]] in 1983. Retiring from the military, Khanzada entered politics in 1996. He was elected to the [[Provincial Assembly of Punjab|Punjab Provincial Assembly]] thrice, in 2002, 2008, and 2013; the latter as a [[Pakistan Muslim League (N)|PML (N)]] candidate from his [[Constituency PP-16 (Attock-II)|native constituency in Attock]].<ref name="PA"/><ref name="Dunya News">{{cite news|url=http://dunyanews.tv/index.php/en/Pakistan/293709-Shuja-Khanzada-Shaheed--Once-a-soldier-always-a-|title=Shuja Khanzada Shaheed – Once a soldier, always a soldier|work=Dunya News|date=17 August 2015|accessdate=18 August 2015}}</ref> Appointed Home Minister in 2014, Khanzada spearheaded the campaign against [[Terrorism in Pakistan|terrorism]] and [[Sectarianism in Pakistan|sectarian militancy]] in Punjab.
As an army officer, Khanzada fought in the [[1971 Indo-Pakistani war]], before partaking in the [[Siachen conflict]] in 1983. Retiring from the military, Khanzada entered politics in 1996. He was elected to the [[Provincial Assembly of Punjab|Punjab Provincial Assembly]] thrice, in 2002, 2008, and 2013; the latter as a [[Pakistan Muslim League (N)|PML (N)]] candidate from his [[Constituency PP-16 (Attock-II)|native constituency in Attock]].<ref name="PA"/><ref name="Dunya News">{{cite news|url=http://dunyanews.tv/index.php/en/Pakistan/293709-Shuja-Khanzada-Shaheed--Once-a-soldier-always-a-|title=Shuja Khanzada Shaheed – Once a soldier, always a soldier|work=Dunya News|date=17 August 2015|accessdate=18 August 2022}}</ref> Appointed Home Minister in 2014, Khanzada spearheaded the campaign against [[Terrorism in Pakistan|terrorism]] and [[Sectarianism in Pakistan|sectarian militancy]] in Punjab.


On 16 August 2015, Khanzada was assassinated in a [[2015 Attock bombing|suicide attack at his political office]] in [[Shadikhan]], Attock. The militant group [[Lashkar-e-Jhangvi]] (LeJ) claimed responsibility for the attack, in retaliation for the killing of LeJ chief [[Malik Ishaq]] during Khanzada's tenure.<ref name="ET"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33952413|title=Punjab minister Shuja Khanzada killed in Pakistan blast|date=16 August 2015|publisher=[[BBC News]]|accessdate=17 August 2015}}</ref> A number of his family members had been killed in a suicide attack on a funeral near [[Mardan]], two years earlier.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://beta.dawn.com/news/1019509/ministers-cousins-among-victims-of-funeral-attack|title=Minister’s cousins among victims of funeral attack|first=From the|last=Newspaper|date=20 June 2013|website=DAWN.COM}}</ref>
On 16 August 2015, Khanzada was assassinated in a [[2015 Attock bombing|suicide attack at his political office]] in [[Shadikhan]], Attock. The militant group [[Lashkar-e-Jhangvi]] (LeJ) claimed responsibility for the attack, in retaliation for the killing of LeJ chief [[Malik Ishaq]] during Khanzada's tenure.<ref name="ET"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33952413|title=Punjab minister Shuja Khanzada killed in Pakistan blast|date=16 August 2015|publisher=[[BBC News]]|accessdate=17 August 2022}}</ref> A number of his family members had been killed in a suicide attack on a funeral near [[Mardan]], two years earlier.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://beta.dawn.com/news/1019509/ministers-cousins-among-victims-of-funeral-attack|title=Minister’s cousins among victims of funeral attack|first=From the|last=Newspaper|date=20 June 2013|website=DAWN.COM}}</ref>


==Early life==
==Early life==
Khanzada was born in an agriculturist [[Pathans of Punjab|Pathan]] family belonging to the [[Yousafzai]] clan in [[Shadikhan]], [[Attock District|Attock]].<ref name="PA"/> The Khanzada family of Attock were long involved in politics.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/773602/politics-runs-in-the-family-2|title=Politics runs in the family|work=Dawn|date=24 December 2012|accessdate=16 August 2015}}</ref> His grandfather Captain Ajab Khan was a member of the [[Indian Legislative Assembly]] (in British India) and his uncle Taj Muhammad Khanzada was a member of the [[National Assembly of Pakistan|National Assembly]] and [[Provincial Assembly of the Punjab|Punjab Provincial Assembly]] from the 1950s to the late 1990s.<ref name="PA"/> He matriculated at the Public School [[Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Nowshera]], followed by FSc. and graduation from the [[Islamia College University|Islamia College]] in Peshawar with a bachelor's degree in arts in 1966.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pap.gov.pk/index.php/members/profile/en/9/96|title=Shuja Khanzada|work=Provincial Assembly of the Punjab|accessdate=16 August 2015}}</ref> In 1967, he was commissioned into the Pakistan Army.<ref name="PA"/> Khanzada was married and had three children. His son, [[Jahangir Khanzada]], succeeded him as a member of the provincial assembly in by-elections on 6 October 2015 from the family's native constituency of PP-16, following Shuja's assassination.<ref name="PA"/> Three of his cousins died in the [[2013 Mardan funeral bombing|Mardan funeral bombing]] in 2013.<ref name="Dawn">{{cite news|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/376476/peshawar-former-secretary-commits-suicide|title=PESHAWAR: Former secretary commits suicide|work=Dawn|date=9 December 2004|accessdate=23 August 2015}}</ref> Another family member, Major Javed Alam Khanzada was a senior bureaucrat in [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]].<ref name="Dawn"/>
Khanzada's grandfather Captain Ajab Khan was a member of the [[Indian Legislative Assembly]] (in British India) and his uncle Taj Muhammad Khanzada was a member of the [[National Assembly of Pakistan|National Assembly]] and [[Provincial Assembly of the Punjab|Punjab Provincial Assembly]] from the 1950s to the late 1990s.<ref name="PA"/> He matriculated at the Public School [[Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Nowshera]], followed by FSc. and graduation from the [[Islamia College University|Islamia College]] in Peshawar with a bachelor's degree in arts in 1966.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pap.gov.pk/index.php/members/profile/en/9/96|title=Shuja Khanzada|work=Provincial Assembly of the Punjab|accessdate=16 August 2022}}</ref> In 1967, he was commissioned into the Pakistan Army.<ref name="PA"/> Khanzada was married and had three children. His son, [[Jahangir Khanzada]], succeeded him as a member of the provincial assembly in by-elections on 6 October 2015 from the family's native constituency of PP-16, following Shuja's assassination.<ref name="PA"/> Three of his cousins died in the [[2013 Mardan funeral bombing|Mardan funeral bombing]] in 2013.<ref name="Dawn">{{cite news|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/376476/peshawar-former-secretary-commits-suicide|title=PESHAWAR: Former secretary commits suicide|work=Dawn|date=9 December 2004|accessdate=23 August 2022}}</ref> Another family member, Major Javed Alam Khanzada was a senior bureaucrat in [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]].<ref name="Dawn"/>


==Military career==
==Military career==
During his military career, Khanzada fought in the [[1971 Indo-Pakistani war]], served as an instructor in 1974–1978 and 1982–1983, and commanded the [[13th Lancers]] in 1983–85.<ref name="PA"/> He was also present at the [[Siachen Glacier]] in 1983.<ref name="PA"/> In 1988, he was awarded the [[Tamgha-e-Basalat]] for his services.<ref name="PA"/> In 1992–1994, he was posted as a military attaché at the [[Embassy of Pakistan, Washington, D.C.|Pakistani embassy in Washington, D.C]].<ref name="PA"/> He was also a field officer of the [[Inter-Services Intelligence]] (ISI), working for the intelligence agency for over a decade from the 1980s to the mid 1990s, during which he specialised on affairs related to [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]] and [[Afghanistan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://antisystemic.org/satribune/www.satribune.com/archives/july27_02_02/isi_whistle_blower.htm|title=How Gen. Kakar blew up plans to roll back the nuclear program|date=1999|accessdate=17 August 2015|work=South Asia Tribune}}</ref>
During his military career, Khanzada fought in the [[1971 Indo-Pakistani war]], served as an instructor in 1974–1978 and 1982–1983, and commanded the [[13th Lancers]] in 1983–85.<ref name="PA"/> He was also present at the [[Siachen Glacier]] in 1983.<ref name="PA"/> In 1988, he was awarded the [[Tamgha-e-Basalat]] for his services.<ref name="PA"/> In 1992–1994, he was posted as a military attaché at the [[Embassy of Pakistan, Washington, D.C.|Pakistani embassy in Washington, D.C]].<ref name="PA"/> He was also a field officer of the [[Inter-Services Intelligence]] (ISI), working for the intelligence agency for over a decade from the 1980s to the mid-1990s, during which he specialised on affairs related to [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]] and [[Afghanistan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://antisystemic.org/satribune/www.satribune.com/archives/july27_02_02/isi_whistle_blower.htm|title=How Gen. Kakar blew up plans to roll back the nuclear program|date=1999|accessdate=17 August 2015|work=South Asia Tribune}}</ref>


==Political career==
==Political career==
Following his retirement from the military, Khanzada entered politics in 1996. For some time, he was affiliated with the [[Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf]] as a founding member, before joining the [[Pakistan Muslim League (Q)]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/939003/blast-rocks-punjab-home-minister-shuja-khanzadas-political-office-in-attock/|title=Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada killed in Attock suicide blast|work=The Express Tribune|date=16 August 2015|accessdate=17 August 2015}}</ref> He was elected as a member of the [[Provincial Assembly of Punjab]] from 2002 to 2007 as a PML (Q) legislator. He served as a special advisor to the [[Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan|Chief Minister]] and held a ministry portfolio. He was elected to the provincial assembly again in 2008 as an independent candidate, and in the 2013 elections as a [[Pakistan Muslim League (N)|PML (N)]] member, from his native [[Constituency PP-16 (Attock-II)|Constituency PP-16]].<ref name="PA"/><ref name="Dunya News"/> Khanzada was appointed Punjab Environment Protection Minister on 10 June 2013.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/590738/anti-dengue-drive-two-shops-sealed-cases-registered-against-owners/ |title=Anti-dengue drive: Two shops sealed, cases registered against owners |date=16 August 2013 |website=[[The Express Tribune]] |accessdate=23 August 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://punjab.gov.pk/?q=node/1194 |title=Chief Minister assigns portfolios to the Ministers |website=Punjab Portal |date=10 June 2013 |publisher=[[Government of Punjab, Pakistan]] |url-status=dead |access-date=27 November 2017 |archive-date=22 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150822235754/http://punjab.gov.pk/?q=node%2F1194 }}</ref>
Following his retirement from the military, Khanzada entered politics in 1996. For some time, he was affiliated with the [[Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf]] as a founding member, before joining the [[Pakistan Muslim League (Q)]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/939003/blast-rocks-punjab-home-minister-shuja-khanzadas-political-office-in-attock/|title=Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada killed in Attock suicide blast|work=The Express Tribune|date=16 August 2015|accessdate=17 August 2022}}</ref> He was elected as a member of the [[Provincial Assembly of Punjab]] from 2002 to 2007 as a PML (Q) legislator. He served as a special advisor to the [[Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan|Chief Minister]] and held a ministry portfolio. He was elected to the provincial assembly again in 2008 as an independent candidate, and in the 2013 elections as a [[Pakistan Muslim League (N)|PML (N)]] member, from his native [[Constituency PP-16 (Attock-II)|Constituency PP-16]].<ref name="PA"/><ref name="Dunya News"/> Khanzada was appointed Punjab Environment Protection Minister on 10 June 2013.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/590738/anti-dengue-drive-two-shops-sealed-cases-registered-against-owners/ |title=Anti-dengue drive: Two shops sealed, cases registered against owners |date=16 August 2013 |website=[[The Express Tribune]] |accessdate=23 August 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://punjab.gov.pk/?q=node/1194 |title=Chief Minister assigns portfolios to the Ministers |website=Punjab Portal |date=10 June 2013 |publisher=[[Government of Punjab, Pakistan]] |url-status=dead |access-date=27 November 2017 |archive-date=22 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150822235754/http://punjab.gov.pk/?q=node%2F1194 }}</ref>


===Home Minister===
===Home Minister===
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==Death and legacy==
==Death and legacy==
{{main|2015 Attock bombing}}
{{main|2015 Attock bombing}}
On 16 August 2015, Khanzada's home office in [[Shadikhan]] was attacked in a suicide blast, killing him and at least 21 other people, including a number of his relatives.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ali|first1=Sarfraz|title=Death toll rises to 19 in suicide attack at Punjab Interior Minister Shuja Khanzada’s political office in Attock|url=http://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/two-injured-as-bomber-hits-punjab-interior-minister-shuja-khanzadas-house-in-attock-987/|accessdate=17 August 2015|work=[[Daily Pakistan]]|date=16 August 2015| quote=At least nineteen people have been killed ... UPDATE: Deputy Superintendent of Police Hazro, Sayyed Shouqat Ali Shah also martyred in this incident ... UPDATE: Col (retd) Shuja Khanzada has been killed in the attack.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/18-Aug-2015/late-khanzada-s-cousin-succumbs-to-wounds|title=Late Khanzada's cousin succumbs to wounds|work=Daily Times|date=18 August 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=23 August 2015|archive-date=19 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150819120250/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/18-Aug-2015/late-khanzada-s-cousin-succumbs-to-wounds}}</ref> According to a preliminary investigation, the attack may have been retaliation for the killing of [[Lashkar-e-Jhangvi]] militant leader [[Malik Ishaq]] by the [[Punjab Police (Pakistan)|Punjab Police]] during Khanzada's term in office. The attack was strongly condemned throughout the country, including by Prime Minister [[Nawaz Sharif]] and Chief of Army Staff General [[Raheel Sharif]].<ref name="ET">{{cite news|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/939039/khanzada-attack-in-retaliation-of-lej-chiefs-killing-sources/|title=Khanzada attack in retaliation of LeJ chief's killing: sources|work=Express Tribune|date=16 August 2015|accessdate=16 August 2015}}</ref> The Lahore City District Government announced that a major new road inaugurated in [[Lahore]], connecting [[Karim Block]] and [[Jinnah Hospital, Lahore|Jinnah Hospital]], would be named after Shuja Khanzada.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/941128/lahore-road-to-be-named-after-shuja-khanzada/|title=Lahore road to be named after Shuja Khanzada|work=The Express Tribune|date=19 August 2015|accessdate=20 August 2015}}</ref>
On 16 August 2015, Khanzada's home office in [[Shadikhan]] was attacked in a suicide blast, killing him and at least 21 other people, including a number of his relatives.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ali|first1=Sarfraz|title=Death toll rises to 19 in suicide attack at Punjab Interior Minister Shuja Khanzada’s political office in Attock|url=http://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/two-injured-as-bomber-hits-punjab-interior-minister-shuja-khanzadas-house-in-attock-987/|accessdate=17 August 2015|work=[[Daily Pakistan]]|date=16 August 2015| quote=At least nineteen people have been killed ... UPDATE: Deputy Superintendent of Police Hazro, Sayyed Shouqat Ali Shah also martyred in this incident ... UPDATE: Col (retd) Shuja Khanzada has been killed in the attack.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/18-Aug-2015/late-khanzada-s-cousin-succumbs-to-wounds|title=Late Khanzada's cousin succumbs to wounds|work=Daily Times|date=18 August 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=23 August 2015|archive-date=19 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150819120250/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/18-Aug-2015/late-khanzada-s-cousin-succumbs-to-wounds}}</ref> According to a preliminary investigation, the attack may have been retaliation for the killing of [[Lashkar-e-Jhangvi]] militant leader [[Malik Ishaq]] by the [[Punjab Police (Pakistan)|Punjab Police]] during Khanzada's term in office. The attack was strongly condemned throughout the country, including by Prime Minister [[Nawaz Sharif]] and Chief of Army Staff General [[Raheel Sharif]].<ref name="ET">{{cite news|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/939039/khanzada-attack-in-retaliation-of-lej-chiefs-killing-sources/|title=Khanzada attack in retaliation of LeJ chief's killing: sources|work=Express Tribune|date=16 August 2015|accessdate=16 August 2022}}</ref> The Lahore City District Government announced that a major new road inaugurated in [[Lahore]], connecting [[Karim Block]] and [[Jinnah Hospital, Lahore|Jinnah Hospital]], would be named after Shuja Khanzada.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/941128/lahore-road-to-be-named-after-shuja-khanzada/|title=Lahore road to be named after Shuja Khanzada|work=The Express Tribune|date=19 August 2015|accessdate=20 August 2022}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 96: Line 96:
[[Category:Military personnel from Punjab, Pakistan]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Punjab, Pakistan]]
[[Category:2015 murders in Pakistan]]
[[Category:2015 murders in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Pakistan Army Armored Corps officers]]
[[Category:Pakistan Armoured Corps officers]]
[[Category:Pakistan Muslim League (N) MPAs (Punjab)]]
[[Category:Pakistan Muslim League (N) MPAs (Punjab)]]
[[Category:Pakistan Muslim League (Q) MPAs (Punjab)]]
[[Category:Pakistan Muslim League (Q) MPAs (Punjab)]]

Revision as of 03:47, 1 December 2022


Shuja Khanzada
شجاع خانزاده
File:Shuja Khanzada.jpg
Khanzada as Captain of PAVO Cavalry, 1969
Home Minister of Punjab
In office
14 October 2014 – 16 August 2015
Appointed byShehbaz Sharif
Environment Protection Minister of Punjab
In office
10 June 2013 – 16 August 2015
Appointed byShehbaz Sharif
Personal details
Born(1943-08-28)28 August 1943
Shadikhan, Punjab Province, British India
Died16 August 2015(2015-08-16) (aged 71)
Attock, Punjab, Pakistan
Cause of deathAssassination
NationalityBritish Indian (1943–1947)
Pakistani (1947–2015)
Political partyPML (N) (2013-2015)
Other political
affiliations		PTI (1996–2002)
PML (Q) (2002–2007)
ChildrenJahangir Khanzada (son)
Alma materIslamia College
AwardsHilal-e-Shujaat[1]
Medal of Good Conduct Tamgha-e-Basalat.png Tamgha-e-Basalat
Military service
Allegiance Pakistan
Branch/service Pakistan Army
Years of service1967–1994
RankOF-5 Pakistan Army.svg Colonel
Unit13th Lancers
Battles/warsIndo-Pakistani War of 1971
Siachen conflict

Shuja Khanzada (Urdu: شجاع خانزاده‎‎; 28 August 1943 – 16 August 2015) was a Pakistani politician and Pakistan Army colonel, who served as the Home Minister of Punjab from 2014 until his assassination on 16 August 2015.[2]

As an army officer, Khanzada fought in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war, before partaking in the Siachen conflict in 1983. Retiring from the military, Khanzada entered politics in 1996. He was elected to the Punjab Provincial Assembly thrice, in 2002, 2008, and 2013; the latter as a PML (N) candidate from his native constituency in Attock.[2][3] Appointed Home Minister in 2014, Khanzada spearheaded the campaign against terrorism and sectarian militancy in Punjab.

On 16 August 2015, Khanzada was assassinated in a suicide attack at his political office in Shadikhan, Attock. The militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) claimed responsibility for the attack, in retaliation for the killing of LeJ chief Malik Ishaq during Khanzada's tenure.[4][5] A number of his family members had been killed in a suicide attack on a funeral near Mardan, two years earlier.[6]

Early life

Khanzada's grandfather Captain Ajab Khan was a member of the Indian Legislative Assembly (in British India) and his uncle Taj Muhammad Khanzada was a member of the National Assembly and Punjab Provincial Assembly from the 1950s to the late 1990s.[2] He matriculated at the Public School Nowshera, followed by FSc. and graduation from the Islamia College in Peshawar with a bachelor's degree in arts in 1966.[7] In 1967, he was commissioned into the Pakistan Army.[2] Khanzada was married and had three children. His son, Jahangir Khanzada, succeeded him as a member of the provincial assembly in by-elections on 6 October 2015 from the family's native constituency of PP-16, following Shuja's assassination.[2] Three of his cousins died in the Mardan funeral bombing in 2013.[8] Another family member, Major Javed Alam Khanzada was a senior bureaucrat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[8]

Military career

During his military career, Khanzada fought in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war, served as an instructor in 1974–1978 and 1982–1983, and commanded the 13th Lancers in 1983–85.[2] He was also present at the Siachen Glacier in 1983.[2] In 1988, he was awarded the Tamgha-e-Basalat for his services.[2] In 1992–1994, he was posted as a military attaché at the Pakistani embassy in Washington, D.C.[2] He was also a field officer of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), working for the intelligence agency for over a decade from the 1980s to the mid-1990s, during which he specialised on affairs related to Balochistan and Afghanistan.[9]

Political career

Following his retirement from the military, Khanzada entered politics in 1996. For some time, he was affiliated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf as a founding member, before joining the Pakistan Muslim League (Q).[10] He was elected as a member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab from 2002 to 2007 as a PML (Q) legislator. He served as a special advisor to the Chief Minister and held a ministry portfolio. He was elected to the provincial assembly again in 2008 as an independent candidate, and in the 2013 elections as a PML (N) member, from his native Constituency PP-16.[2][3] Khanzada was appointed Punjab Environment Protection Minister on 10 June 2013.[11][12]

Home Minister

Khanzada was assigned the additional charge of the Home Ministry by the Pakistan Muslim League (N) provincial government on 14 October 2014, in a cabinet reshuffle.[13]

Death and legacy

Main article: 2015 Attock bombing

On 16 August 2015, Khanzada's home office in Shadikhan was attacked in a suicide blast, killing him and at least 21 other people, including a number of his relatives.[14][15] According to a preliminary investigation, the attack may have been retaliation for the killing of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant leader Malik Ishaq by the Punjab Police during Khanzada's term in office. The attack was strongly condemned throughout the country, including by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif.[4] The Lahore City District Government announced that a major new road inaugurated in Lahore, connecting Karim Block and Jinnah Hospital, would be named after Shuja Khanzada.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "President to confer Pakistan Civil Awards | SAMAA". Samaa TV.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 "Shuja Khanzada". Punjab Assembly. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Shuja Khanzada Shaheed – Once a soldier, always a soldier". Dunya News. 17 August 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Khanzada attack in retaliation of LeJ chief's killing: sources". Express Tribune. 16 August 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  5. ↑ "Punjab minister Shuja Khanzada killed in Pakistan blast". BBC News. 16 August 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  6. ↑ Newspaper, From the (20 June 2013). "Minister's cousins among victims of funeral attack". DAWN.COM.
  7. ↑ "Shuja Khanzada". Provincial Assembly of the Punjab. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "PESHAWAR: Former secretary commits suicide". Dawn. 9 December 2004. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  9. ↑ "How Gen. Kakar blew up plans to roll back the nuclear program". South Asia Tribune. 1999. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  10. ↑ "Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada killed in Attock suicide blast". The Express Tribune. 16 August 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  11. ↑ "Anti-dengue drive: Two shops sealed, cases registered against owners". The Express Tribune. 16 August 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  12. ↑ "Chief Minister assigns portfolios to the Ministers". Punjab Portal. Government of Punjab, Pakistan. 10 June 2013. Archived from the original on 22 August 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  13. ↑ Kashif, Hussain (14 October 2014). "Rana Mashood removed as Punjab law minister". Daily Times (Pakistan). Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  14. ↑ Ali, Sarfraz (16 August 2015). "Death toll rises to 19 in suicide attack at Punjab Interior Minister Shuja Khanzada's political office in Attock". Daily Pakistan. Retrieved 17 August 2015. At least nineteen people have been killed ... UPDATE: Deputy Superintendent of Police Hazro, Sayyed Shouqat Ali Shah also martyred in this incident ... UPDATE: Col (retd) Shuja Khanzada has been killed in the attack.
  15. ↑ "Late Khanzada's cousin succumbs to wounds". Daily Times. 18 August 2015. Archived from the original on 19 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  16. ↑ "Lahore road to be named after Shuja Khanzada". The Express Tribune. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
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