In memoriam: Israr — My kid cousin

This Eidul Azha claimed life of Sardar Israrullah Khan Gandapur a rising star on K-P political firmament.

This Eidul Azha claimed the life of Sardar Israrullah Khan Gandapur a rising star on the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa political firmament. He was the victim of a suicide bomber’s savage attack on him in his Hujra as he lent forward to wish Eid to the perpetrator. Five others in the gathering were also mowed down and dozens injured.

Being a cousin of Israr, the pain of his most tragic death is immense.

The grief of his loss is not limited to the immediate family members but is widely shared in the area where he was elected as MPA for three times running. With his departure there is a feeling of general gloom among his supporters who fear that the Kulachi Tehsil will soon revert back to its under developed self.



A scion of a leading political family for three generations and son of former Chief Minister Sardar Inayatullah Khan Gandapur, he ably carried the flame past onto him by his illustrious father. Because of his down to earth approach, Israr was not strictly speaking, in the political mould of his father and made suitable political adjustments with the aim of ensuring the betterment of his constituents he got close to the ruling camp. Consequently after the 2008 elections, he parted ways with his parent party and joined the treasury benches so as to secure funds for the development projects in his area. This had deeply endeared him to his constituents who reposed trust in him and returned him to the provincial assembly.

Ironically, his love and respect for his voters, perhaps, was his undoing. In a show of overt care for the sensibilities of his voters he had given clear instructions to his security detail not to subject the Eid greeters to be frisked so that they don’t feel irked or humiliated.

It is premature to identify his killers but I have no doubt that they must have studied the pattern of security arrangements during Eidul Fitr that preceded this Eid by a couple of months. This provided a chink in the armour of Sardar Inayatullah Khan’s otherwise extremely fortified Gandapur Cottage. The most grievous breech of security whose fatal consequences the family will rue for a long time.

Born on 6th August 1975, Israr first joined the Provincial Assembly at the age of 28 years. In a relatively short period of time he had acquired the skills of a seasoned politician and rose to become the Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs & Human Rights in the present PTI led government. He was a natural leader of men as is evident from the fact that after winning the May 2013 elections as an Independent MPA, he was made the head of a group of 10 independent MPAs and he convinced them to join the PTI enbloc. He had another disarming quality, which even surprised his political opponents as he would go out of the way to address their problems aswell.

An honest and upright person he worked tirelessly for ushering in peace and prosperity in the area aswell as for the Province. He had a very bright political future infront of him but all of this was abruptly and cruelly brought to an end by the assasin and his handlers. Dear Israr your ultimate sacrifice would not be in vain if it spurs the government run by your party into action and to whole heartedly go after the cursed specie which goes by the name of suicide bombers and to annihilate them root and branch.

You left us in the prime of your life but even in your 38 years you made an indelible mark in the politics of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. I have no doubt that your political agenda will be faithfully carried forward by your elder brother Sardar Ikramullah Khan Gandapur. May ALLAH guide him in this endeavour.

The whole family is poorer by your loss dear Israr. You inflicted a double jeopardy on your political opponents by ascending new heights in the life here and through your martyrdom in the hereafter. You were always unbeatable - weren’t you. The good die young, rest in peace dear cousin.

The writer is a former ambassador

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th, 2013.