Ameen Faheem

Makhdoom Muhammad Ameen Faheem was a prominent Pakistani populist left-wing political figure and poet. He served as the senior vice-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party and held the position of chairman for the Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians. Throughout his life, he remained a significant spiritual leader in Sindh.

Early life and education

Makhdoom Muhammad Ameen Faheem was born in Hala, Sindh, on 4 August 1940. His father, Makhdoom Muhammad Zaman, served as the 17th spiritual leader of the Sarwari Jamaat. This powerful feudal figure was one of 67 participants who established the Pakistan Peoples Party at his house in Hala. The elder Makhdoom successfully contested the 1970 general elections and entered the national parliament as a member of parliament.

Faheem completed his primary education in 1955 within Hala. He finished his matriculation at a local high school in 1957. After he passed his university entrance exams, he enrolled at the University of Sindh. He declared a major in the department of social sciences in 1958. By 1961, he earned a Bachelor of Science with honours in political science from the University of Sindh.

Career

Faheem joined the Pakistan Peoples Party as a junior member during the popular wave surrounding the 1970 general election. He successfully contested these elections and secured his NA-Thatta constituency in Sindh. During his time in the Sindh Assembly, he focused on educational development and human rights affairs. He later participated in eight different elections held between 1977 and 2013. While he boycotted the non-party elections of 1985, he remained undefeated in his other contests to create a national record.

In 1993, he achieved a unique distinction by winning both MPA and MNA seats unopposed. He eventually gave the MPA seat to his younger brother, who also won the position unopposed. Faheem served as a Federal Minister during two different tenures of Benazir Bhutto. He held the role of Communications Minister from December 1988 to August 1990. Additionally, he served as the Railways Minister from December 1988 to March 1989.

His ministerial responsibilities continued when he became the Minister for Housing and Works from January 1994 to November 1996. Although President Pervez Musharraf offered him the post of Prime Minister in 2002, Faheem did not accept the position. He had also been offered the premiership three times before the period of 1988–1990 and 1993. He maintained strict loyalty to his party by refusing offers from military dictators and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto on 27 December 2007, Faheem was considered a possible chairman for the PPP. While he was a probable candidate for Prime Minister, the party ultimately nominated Yousaf Raza Gillani in March 2008. Some reports suggested that Asif Ali Zardari might have been reluctant to nominate him due to concerns regarding political influence in Sindh. Faheem expressed his support for Gillani and accepted the role of Commerce Minister during a cabinet shuffle in November 2008.

Personal life

Faheem was a spiritual leader of the Sarwari Jamaat, which consists of millions of followers worldwide. This group was historically known as 'No Lakhi Gadi' because it contained 900,000 disciples 300 years ago. He also possessed a deep passion for mystic poetry. He drew inspiration from the works of Maulana Rumi, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, and Sachal Sarmast.

He was married three times during his life. One of his wives was Dina, who was the elder sister of the Bangladeshi singer Runa Laila. From his various marriages, he had 9 sons and 3 daughters. Faheem passed away on 21 November 2015 at the age of 76. He died from leukemia after being admitted to an intensive care unit in Karachi.