PESHAWAR, March 15: If there is one man who can claim to be the ‘right man for the right job’, it is the ANP’s minister-designate for sports, tourism and culture, Syed Aqil Shah. Mr Shah has spent his life-time promoting sports and tourism in the NWFP. Owning a chain of hotels in the province, Mr Shah has also been associated with sports and has held important positions in various sports organisations.

Born on Feb 13, 1950, Syed Aqil Shah studied at Burn Hall, Abbottabad, Cadet College, Hassanabdal, and Government College, Lahore. He graduated from the University of the Punjab in 1968. He remained member of the Peshawar Cantonment for two terms, member of the Senate for two terms and has held various positions in the ANP and is presently its provincial secretary information.

He is also president of the NWFP Olympic Association and vice-president of Pakistan Olympic Association. He is also the president of Pakistan Wrestling Federation and has represented the country at various sports events both at regional and international levels including the Seoul Olympics.

Known to his friends as Shahjee, Syed Aqil Shah was born in a political family led by late Lala Ayub, who was a founding member of the Khudai Khidmatgar Tehreek and was an active associate of the Red Shirt leader Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. His brother, late Adil Shah, who had done hotel management course from Salzburg in Austria, had helped set up Sarhad Tourism Corporation.

“I am the right man for the right job”, says Mr Shah. One of his goals as minister in charge of sports would be, he goes on to say, to establish a sports academy in Peshawar. He also wants to establish a network of stadiums, gymnasiums and playgrounds in the province.

He says, his party would strive to restore peace through talks and jirgas to create an enabling environment for the promotion of tourism in the NWFP. “We have a lot of potential in tourism and we will make every effort to promote this as an industry and change the public perception about security situation in the NWFP.”

Mr Shah says, he would also like to introduce a cultural and tourism policy in the NWFP and make efforts to protect its heritage. “We have done a lot of homework and have constituted think-tanks to help us formulate policies in various spheres; culture, tourism and heritage are some of them.” He says, he wants to be remembered for his services in sports, tourism and culture. “I want to leave landmarks when my term ends.”