Former Parliamentarian Sh Tahir Rasheed Passes Away

Former parliamentarian Sh Tahir Rasheed passes away

Former Member National Assembly and senior politician Sheikh Tahir Rasheed passed away after prolonged illness here on Wednesday. He was 66

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jun, 2020 ) :Former Member National Assembly and senior politician Sheikh Tahir Rasheed passed away after prolonged illness here on Wednesday. He was 66.

He was suffering from liver cancer and had returned home after treatment from London a few days back.

He was son of the late politician Sheikh Rasheed and brother of PML-N former MNA Sheikh Tariq Rasheed.

He completed his initial education at Millat High school and went to Government Emerson College and graduated from the University of Sindh, Jamshoro.

Tahir Rasheed hails from a family that traces its roots to Jhajjar Tehsil located in Rohtak district India.

His father, Sheikh Muhammad Rasheed, was his political mentor; the former Member of Federal Parliament (Majlis-e-Shoora) in 1980s nominated by the late General Zia-ul-Haq and elected Member of National Assembly (MNA), when elections were held on a non-party basis for the term 1985�1988.

Tahir Rasheed is survived by a wife, three sons and a daughter.

An agriculturist by profession turned to politics in 1987 as an elected councillor of Municipal Corporation Multan, he rose through the political ranks, being elected as a Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) for the term of 1990�1993.

He was elected to National Assembly of Pakistan for two consecutive terms, the first from 1993�1996 and the second from February 1997 to October 1999.

In November 1993, President Farooq Leghari called for fresh elections. Tahir Rasheed was once again issued a ticket from Multan, but this time, it was for National Assembly.

In 1997, new elections were called again. Tahir Rasheed was given Pakistan Muslim League ticket to contest the elections, from the same constituency, NA-116. Again he was up against Syed Tanveer-ul-Hassan Gilani, who is a close relative of ex prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and PML-N's Javed Hashmi. However, Tahir Rasheed once again managed to defeat former federal ministers.

During this time, Sheikh Tahir Rasheed became a member of Parliamentary Steering Committee.

He did not participate in the general elections held in 2002, choosing to run instead for District Nizam in a bye-election, held in 2003.

In August 2005, he decided to join the Pakistan Muslim League due to differences with the party policies and because his supporters were finding it difficult to adjust with the PPP in the ARD.

Funeral prayers for the ex-MNA were held in Gulghasht, attended by family, friends, politicians and political workers.