Liaquat Ali Khan Assassination Detailed Analysis

Liaquat Ali Khan Assassination (1951) Detailed Analysis

Overview of the Event

Pakistan’s first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, was assassinated on October 16, 1951, during a public rally at Company Bagh, Rawalpindi. While addressing a crowd of over 100,000 people, he was shot twice in the chest by Said Akbar Babrak, an Afghan militant and former participant in anti-government tribal revolts146. Liaquat succumbed to his injuries en route to the hospital, uttering his final words: “May God protect Pakistan”6.

Key Individuals Involved

1. Said Akbar Babrak:
   • An ethnic Pashtun from Afghanistan, he fired two pistol shots at Liaquat Ali Khan from close range46.
   • Immediate Fate: Shot dead by police at the scene, preventing interrogation about his motives46.
   • Possible Motives:
     • Resentment over Pakistan’s Kashmir policy (per the official inquiry)3.
     • Alleged ties to the Pashtunistan movement and foreign conspiracies (discussed later)5.
2. Security Lapses:
   • Key officials, including Punjab’s Chief Minister and senior police officers, were absent from the rally6.
   • SP Khan Najaf Khan, the security in-charge, ordered police to kill Said Akbar on-site instead of apprehending him6.
3. Foreign Involvement Allegations:
   • Declassified U.S. documents suggest American motives, including demands for Pakistan to influence Iran’s oil policies and vacate U.S. air bases5.
   • A 1951 Urdu article (summarized in U.S. records) claimed the assassination was orchestrated by the U.S. to replace Liaquat with a pro-Western leader5.
   • Evidence Cited:
     • U.S.-made bullets used in the assassination5.
     • Suspicious timing of the U.S. ambassador’s condolence call to Liaquat’s wife before Pakistan’s own governor general5.

Investigation and Court Findings

• Official Inquiry: A government commission concluded Said Akbar acted alone, citing his freshly fired pistol and witness testimonies13.
• Unresolved Conspiracies: The commission acknowledged three potential conspiracies but cited “national interest” for not pursuing two of them3.
• No Trial: With Said Akbar dead, the case was closed without formal charges6.

Aftermath and Political Impact

1. Immediate Succession:
   • Khawaja Nazimuddin (then-Governor General) became Prime Minister, but his government collapsed within two years, triggering political instability6.
2. Long-Term Consequences:
   • The assassination marked the first of several high-profile killings in Pakistan, including Zia ul-Haq (1988) and Benazir Bhutto (2007)2.
   • Speculation about foreign interference and internal power struggles persists, with historians citing the event as a turning point in Pakistan’s vulnerability to external influence56.

Controversies and Unanswered Questions

• Security Failures: The absence of key officials and lack of ambulance preparedness fueled suspicions of internal collusion6.
• U.S. Role Theories: While unproven, declassified documents and contemporary reports highlight lingering doubts about foreign agendas5.
• Afghanistan’s Link: Said Akbar’s ties to Pashtunistan activists and alleged Pakistani currency traces on his body (despite no formal exchange with Afghanistan) raised questions about external funding5.

The assassination remains a contentious chapter in Pakistan’s history, blending unresolved conspiracies with geopolitical intrigue.

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