Born into an eminent political family of Kotli on June 1, 1934, he is the son of Sardar Fateh Mohammad Khan Karelvi whose name is synonymous with one of the first major uprisings against the repressive Dogra,regime in 1931. He, it was who led the popular agitation against an arbitrary tax on salt imposed by the Maharaja's regime. Three years later in 1934, running as a candidate for the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, he was elected to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature, the Praja Sabah, from his home constituency of Mendhra-Poonch, an office he successfully held through the elections of 1938 and 1944. Later, he also served as a member of the State Council during 1969-70. He is remembered today as one of the pioneers of the struggle of the people of Jammu and Kashmir for their rights under the tyrannical and alien rule of the Dogras.

Growing up and receiving his early schooling in his native village of Karela Majhan, now in District Kotli and in Poonch city, Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan came to Rawalpindi's famous Gordon College from where he, graduated in 1956 before going on to the University Law College in Lahore to obtain a law degree in 1958.

He returned to Kotli to start a law practice and also formally joined the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, an association he has maintained with the consistency that has come to be recognized as the hallmark of his politics. He also successfully ran for membership of the local council, a position he occupied for eight years and during this period was also elected as President of Bar Association Kotli. In 1970, he was elected to the first Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

It is a sign of his personal popularity that he has been returned to office from his constituency in every election held in Azad Kashmir in the last 30 years, barring the years when he was President of Azad Kashmir. His brother Sardar Naeem Khan served as member from that area during that interregnum.

Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan was inducted into the Azad Jammu and Kashmir cabinet as Minister of Revenue, Forests and Finance in. 1972 and retainer: that portfolio for the next three years. He served as acting President of the Jammu and Kashmir Mislim Conference in the 1976-78 period 'and was elected President in 1978, a position he held until 1988.

In 1985, he was elected Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and retained that office for the next five years. He remained leader of the opposition in the Assembly during the next two years, before he was elected President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir for a five years term in 1991.

Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan brings to his office in his second stint as Prime Minister, a proven record of 'clean administration and public accountability. He is a tough but fair administrator, moderate as a politician and skillful as a negotiator, talents that would stand him and the Kashmiri freedom struggle in good stead at this critical point in history.