RAWALPINDI: After a press conference denouncing the events of May 9, Sheikh Rashid, who heads the Awami Muslim League, has found himself taking a solo flight in 2024 polls, without the backing of his former ally PTI founder Imran Khan or the military establishment.

Except for a couple of electoral losses, Mr Rashid has emerged victorious from Rawalpindi at least eight times and served as a federal minister numerous times during his stints in the National Assembly.

But this time, not only his political career is at stake, but his famed residence and political office ‘Lal Haveli’ is also at risk, since the Evacuee Trust Property Board — a government department in charge of evacuee properties — tried to evict him several times, particularly after he was out of power. The Lahore High Court did provide him relief by undoing the actions of the ETPB, but the fate of his residence still hangs in balance.

Sheikh Rashid started his political career in student politics, before becoming a councillor in the Rawalpindi Mu­­ni­cipal Corporation (RMC) in 1980. In 1985, he was elected to the National Assembly as an independent candidate. In 1988, he defeated PPP candidate retired general Tikka Khan to become a lawmaker on the PML-N ticket. This brought him closer to Nawaz Sharif, especially his diatribes against then-PPP chief Benazir Bhutto.

His stint with the PML-N lasted till the ouster of then-PM Nawaz Sharif by military dictator Pervez Musharraf in 1999.

Prior to this, he won three elections on the PML-N ticket and served as a federal minister twice. During his stint as an opposition lawmaker, he was imprisoned by the Benazir government in a weapons case.

After he went ‘missing’ for 36 days following May 9, Mr Rashid emerged in a presser to denounce the violence, while his nephew Rashid Shafique also parted ways with the PTI. The press conference understandably soured his ties with Imran Khan

After the coup, Mr Rashid joined the Musharraf regime, and served as the information minister and the railways minister in the government of Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and Shaukat Aziz. In 2008, he was defeated by PML-N leader Javed Hashmi.

After Mr Hashmi vacated this seat, Mr Rashid lost the by-polls to PML-N’s Malik Shakil Awan. His attempt to mend fences with Nawaz Sharif did not prove successful during this period.

However, he found solace in the PTI of Imran Khan in 2013 and was elected to the National Assembly with its support. In 2018, he again won the seat and became part of the PTI which formed government in the centre and Punjab.

After he went ‘missing’ for 36 days following May 9, Mr Rashid emerged in a presser to denounce the violence, while his nephew Rashid Shafique also parted ways with the party.

His press conference soured his ties with Imran Khan, who has understandably refused to back him in the upcoming polls.

Feb 8 will reveal whether Sheikh Rashid still holds sway in his home constituency, or whether it is the twilight of his decades-long political career.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2024