Liaquat's assassination remains unresolved

The 75th death anniversary of Pakistan's first prime minister, Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, is being observed today, with the mystery surrounding his assassination on Oct 16, 1951, at a public gathering in Rawalpindi's historic Company Bagh, now called Liaquat Bagh, remaining unresolved.

Even after 75 years, it remains unclear who killed or arranged the killing of the country's first prime minister, and why.

Three investigations were conducted into the assassination: a police investigation, a judicial commission inquiry and an investigation by Britain's Scotland Yard. However, none produced a conclusive outcome.

The case was never brought before a court, and a challan was never prepared or submitted. It was eventually shelved at the police station.

Liaquat Ali Khan had arrived at Liaquat Bagh on Oct 16, 1951, to address a large public gathering.

As the meeting began, Syed Akbar Khan, allegedly an Afghan national standing at the front, opened fire with a pistol. Both bullets struck the prime minister, who was rushed to the Military Hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

Police shot and killed the alleged assassin at the scene, leaving key questions surrounding the murder unanswered.

A two-member judicial commission comprising Justice Muhammad Munir and Justice Akhtar Hussain was formed to investigate the assassination. Scotland Yard also conducted an inquiry.

Both investigations attributed the killing to the assassin's personal act, a conclusion that has never been universally accepted.

Aftab Mir, a 95-year-old resident of the adjoining historic Arya Mohalla neighbourhood, recalled witnessing the events as a young man.

He said he was fully conscious of what was happening at the time and had gone to listen to the gathering because his home was nearby. He climbed onto the railing along Murree Road to listen to the speech.

The gathering had barely begun when gunshots rang out, triggering panic and a stampede. People standing on the railings jumped towards the Murree Road side.

He said they subsequently learnt that Liaquat Ali Khan had been killed and the assassin had also died.

Mir recalled that when they entered Liaquat Bagh after the crowd had dispersed, hundreds of shoes and bicycles were scattered around the venue. Many bicycles had been knocked over during the stampede.

He said a truck arrived at night and took away the bicycles and shoes, after which he had no further information about them.

Missing signboard; lost legacy

Liaquat Bagh is also where former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated. The circumstances surrounding the killings of both leaders remain unresolved, with little prospect of the mysteries being solved, the report said.

The giant nameboard at the main gate of the historic Company Bagh, now known as Liaquat Bagh, was brought down by heavy pre-monsoon rain and a storm earlier this year. However, it has not been reinstalled even after four and a half months, reportedly because of a severe financial crisis.

The park, which is around 300 years old, had a signboard installed three years ago at a cost of hundreds of thousands of rupees.