Mubashir Hassan | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 24 December 1971 – 22 October 1974 | |
| Prime Minister | Zulfikar Ali Bhutto |
| Preceded by | Muzaffar Ali Khan |
| Succeeded by | Mohammad Hanif |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mubashir Hassan (1922-01-22)22 January 1922 |
| Died | 14 March 2020(2020-03-14) (aged 98) |
| Nationality | India (1922–47) Pakistan (1947–2020) |
| Political party | Pakistan Peoples Party |
| Alma mater | UET Lahore Columbia University Iowa State University |
| Occupation | Professor, political activist |
| Cabinet | Bhutto administration (1971–74) |
Mubashir Hassan (Urdu:مبشر حسن; 22 January 1922 – 14 March 2020) was aPakistani politician,humanist, political adviser, and an engineer who served in the capacity ofFinance Minister inBhutto administration from 1971 until 1974.
In 1967, Hassan co-founded thePakistan Peoples Party, ademocratic socialist political party, along withZulfikar Ali Bhutto and J.A. Rahim.[1] After appointedFinance Minister in Bhutto administration in 1971, his role was critical in aggressively pursuing thenationalization ofprivate sector for establishing theplanned economy while he managed the funding of theatomic bomb program when he helped established theMinistry of Science to promote and increase the scientific output of the country.[2]
After leaving the Bhutto administration in 1974, he was appointed as theGeneral-Secretary of thePakistan Peoples Party, and continue his role as political adviser to Prime Minister Bhutto but become troubled when Bhutto was removed from the office, facing charges of inciting violence by theZia administration.[1] After retiring from politics in 1980s, Hassan joined theUET Lahore and accepted the position in teaching civil engineering, and was a vital member of theHuman Rights Commission ofPakistan.
Mubashir Hassan was born on 21 January 1922 inPanipat,Punjab,British India into a family that practised medicines as their profession. His mother side of family members descendant toA.H. Hali, anUrdu language poet.[3] He was raised by his mother while his father worked for the government ofHyderabad Deccan.[3] After hismatriculation in 1938, Hassan was sent to attend theGovernment College University inLahore where his elder brother was studying medicine at theKing Edward Medical University but made atransfer toUniversity of Engineering and Technology (UET).[3]
In 1942, Hassan graduated withBSc incivil engineering at age 20, briefly employed as Subdivional Officer (SDO) at the Irrigation department inAmritsar.[3] In 1944, Hassan secured a scholarship to study engineering in theUnited States, traveled toNew York to attend theColumbia University, and graduated withMSc in civil engineering in 1947.[3] Hassan returns to India immediately after thepartition took place, and joined the engineering faculty of the UET Lahore.[3] In 1953, he again went toUnited States to attend the doctoral program in engineering at theIowa State University, and conferred withPhD in civil engineering in 1955.[3] Upon returning to Pakistan, he joined the UET Lahore, eventually becoming the Chairman of the Department of Civil Engineering in subsequent years.[3]
political philosophy began to take place in 1967, after witnessing the1965 war with India. In 1967, Hassan published the political manifesto, "A Declaration of Unity of People", advocating forTechno-Democratic socialism inEast-Pakistan, during which he was lecturing in the topic ofEngineering physics at theDhaka University.[citation needed]
After gaining appreciation and popularity,Zulfikar Ali Bhutto called Hassan toWest-Pakistan where at his house, thePakistan Peoples Party was founded along withJ.A. Rahim in November 1967.[4][5][6] His wide knowledge in ranging from science and politics, Hassan became one of the closest confidants and advisers of Bhutto, and acted on behalf of Bhutto in 1970 to form a coalition government withMujibur Rahman ofPeoples League.[7] After the1971 Winter war, Hassan was appointedFinance Minister and helped Bhutto establish theMinistry of Science in 1972.[4][2]
His political role inatomic bomb project started in 1972, when Bhutto asked him to meet withMunir Ahmad Khan ofPakistan Atomic Energy Commission.[citation needed] Bhutto responded by abolishing several committees dealing with atomic energy in variousministries, and orderedFinance MinisterHassan to manage the finance of the atomic bomb project.[citation needed]Meanwhile, Hassan reportedly worked closely withMunir Ahmad Khan on technical and economical aspects of the atomic bomb project.[citation needed] He remained supportive and administrative figure inPakistan'snon-nuclear proliferation, and monitoredAbdul Qadeer Khan's suspicious activities throughout 1976.[7] However, he was soon pulled out after being warned by Bhutto, therefore, Hassan focused his attention on PAEC's efforts.[7]
In 1974, he developed serious issues with Bhutto after Bhutto deposedMalik Meraj Khalid, a Marxist andLaw Minister when Bhutto decided to expand the activities of theestablishment in the government to keep an eye onBhutto rivals.[1] In 1974, Hassan resigned fromFinance Ministry after learning of this incident, but remained loyal to Bhutto.[1] In 1974, Bhutto finally appointed Hassan as hisScience Advisor to the Prime minister Secretariat.[1] As Director of Directorate for Science, Hassan played a significant role in the establishment ofKahuta Project, advising Bhutto on various aspects of atomic bomb project.[2] He objected to the idea of giving the Kahuta Project's responsibilities toCorps of Engineers, but was overruled by Bhutto.[2] However, the progress on atomic bomb project was slowed down after an intensified civil disorder began to take place, shrinking the credibility of Bhutto.[2] Throughout 1976, Hassan made several unsuccessful attempts to bring the leadership ofPakistan National Alliance on table and he was finally arrested byMilitary Police in 1977.[2] Hassan was placed inAdiala Jail with Bhutto where he spent his next seven years in prison even after Bhutto's execution.[2]
Released in 1984, Hassan joined theUET Lahore'sFaculty ofEngineering asprofessor of civil engineering. In 1988, Prime ministerBenazir Bhutto made an attempt to appoint him asFinance Minister but he refused to serve after Benazir had plannedderegulation of industries.[4] Although, Hassan had retired from any political activism, Hassan continued to write articles in hydraulics engineering and its extended mathematical problems. Hassan also wrote about the economic issues and remained a loyal supporter ofZulfikar Ali Bhutto and his policies. His articles were regularly published inThe News International newspaper, though he was associated with thePakistan Peoples Party (Murtaza Bhutto) since its inception.[4] In 2011, Hassan visited his native city inIndia, where Hassan advocated normalisation ofIndo-Pakistan relations, and maintained that:
Since 1974,Pakistan had enormously helped the people ofAfghanistan in expelling theSoviet Union.... Judging by present situation, if the [United States]–[Afghanistan] axis were to invade Pakistan,India would stand byPakistan and not with the invaders
— Hassan Mubasir
dr mubashir hasan finance minister.
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Science Advisor to the Prime minister Secretariat 22 October 1974 – 5 July 1977 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Finance Minister of Pakistan 24 December 1971 – 22 October 1974 | Succeeded by |
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|---|---|---|
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