By Yasser Latif Hamdani
Last week (February 6) marked the 114th Birthday of one of Pakistan’s greatest unsung heroes. Once again, there was no mention of commemoration of his remarkable like. No sense of gratitude from a nation for which he did so much. He has been wiped out of our memory because he was an Ahmadi, despite his glorious contributions to Pakistan and its cause (see related post on Dr. Abdul Salam).
Sir Zafrullah Khan’s services rendered to Muslims of India, Pakistan and the Third World are second only to that of Quaid-e-Azam Mahomed Ali Jinnah. As a jurist, a diplomat and a patriot he stood head and shoulders above the lesser men who have made a mockery of our republic.
Born in 1893 in Sialkot in what was to become one of the earliest Ahmaddiya households, this small town boy rose to be one of the shrewdest legal minds of his time. His early education was in Sialkot, after which he proceeded to Lahore for his bachelors degree, under the tutelage of none other than the great Iqbal himself. He got his law degree from King’s College London in 1914, where he stood top of his class and was the first person from the Indian subcontinent to do so. He was, like most great figures of that time, called to bar at Lincoln’s Inn.
As a practicing lawyer, he soon proved his mettle and had many reported cases to his name. The first major politician to recognize Zafrullah’s talents was Sir Fazli Hussain, the founder of Unionist Party of Punjab. Starting his career in his early 30s as a member of the Punjab legislative Council, he rose to prominence as an indefatigable crusader for Muslims of Punjab. Later he represented the Muslims at round table conference and crossed swords with figures like Jinnah and Gandhi. In 1931, he became the Muslim League president and at the roundtable conference, he cornered no less a person than Churchill in a committee hearing who was forced to accept Zafrullah’s point of view.
Later he was offered a seat on Viceroy’s permanent Council, which he took to further his cause. He also served at varying times as the minister of Railways, Public works, labour and law under the Viceroy. For a brief period, he also became British India’s representative to the League of Nations, just before it was dissolved.
However his greatest contribution came when he drafted the famous Lahore Resolution, which till this day is the rallying point of Pakistan and Pakistani nationalism. He had been tasked with finding a common point between the popular demand for “Pakistan” and Muslim League’s all India requirements. The Lahore resolution was a broad based solution which left the door virtually open for several solutions and negotiation on the issue of partition. In essence it envisaged 2 or 3 great republics for the Muslim peoples and it was this document which forms the basis not just of Pakistan but also of Bangladesh. For this he got a lot of slack. No less a person than Khan Abdul Wali Khan highlighted Zafrullah’s religious belief to play on the popular conspiracy theory that holds Ahmadis to be British touts.
Later from 1942 onwards, he served as a federal judge (equivalent of an Supreme court C judge) of India and finally took leave on the eve of Pakistan to serve the cause of Pakistan before the Radcliffe Commission, on Jinnah’s personal request. On 25th December 1947, Jinnah appointed him the Foreign Minister of Pakistan. At the UN, Sir Zafrullah emerged as the most eloquent advocate of all third world and Islamic issues. It was Zafrullah whose efforts materialized into the UN Resolutions on Kashmir, which are the basis of the Pakistani case and grievance. Later he became the first Asian president of the International Court of Justice, a singular and unique honor for any Pakistani. He also served, briefly, as the President of the UN General Assembly. He passed away in September of 1983 in Lahore.
A prolific author on the history of Pakistan and Islam, his most famous book was titled “Agony of Pakistan” in which he makes plain the great betrayal which wrested the country from the hands of its patriots into the hands of those who were its greatest enemies. Ironically, today Jinnah’s most trusted lieutenant is not even remembered by the state which owes him so much, including its own founding document. It is the memory of people like Zafrullah Khan that will keep alive the original idea of Pakistan and there is no doubt that one day the posterity will reclaim its true destiny as a progressive and modern republic.
Yasser Latif Hamdani is a lawyer in Lahore and a researcher of the history of the Pakistan Movement.
Old news but still valid.
Musharraf Flags Flexibility on Kashmir
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article= 53665&d=30&m=10&y=2004
Some excerpts;
[quote]
When it comes to the Kashmir dispute and the Kashmiris determining their future, President Parvez Musharraf has always been a “man in hurry.â€
Once you ignore all the stupid shouting and slogans, this post and discussion has been quite educational for me. I had actually never even heard of this person and I don’t care what is religion was. But the discussion has brought up many new facts which make me respect his contributions to Pakistan. Specially these:
1. That he was head of International Court of Justice.
2. He was President of UN General Assembly.
3. Quaid-i-Azam trusted him so much that he selected him to represent us before Radcliffe and also made him first Foreign Minister.
4. He took up so many Muslim causes in the UN including the most important Kashmir resolution ever (no other resolution on Kashmir since then has been this strongly in support of Kashmir cause).
5. Most of all, it looks like he was well ahead of his time. For example, he could see that Israel was a reality well before others did (later Egypt did, even Arafat did, now Pakistan is ready to accept and even Saudi Arabia accepts that). Also, I am grateful that someone raised the point that he saw the importance of India-Pakistan trade, something that so many people now realize is important for both countries. He was clearly someone ahead of his times.
This is from JOHN CLARK’S Book H U N Z A, Lost Kingdom of the Himalayas.
[quote]
Next day I received a telephoned invitation to tea with the Foreign Minister, Sir Mohammed Zafrullah Khan. He was also Acting Prime Minister during Liaquat Ali Khan’s absence. My project was certainly receiving top-level attention. His butler (a Hunza man, I noticed with interest) ushered me into a cool, airy living room, and in a few minutes Sir Zafrullah came in. We sat down, and as he rested his long body in a cane armchair we chatted affably for some time. Suddenly his alert face with its grizzled beard turned to me. “Dr. Clark, I’m surprised you have so low an opinion of us!” he snapped. “Wh-at?” I was completely confused.
“Surely you must know we see Life magazine,”* he said. “Last January some American correspondents published a statement that the people of Hunza wanted to join the United States.” He looked straight at me. “The people of Hunza never heard of the United States until you came. Therefore, you must be working for your country to win our northern frontier away from us. Explain these accusations that I have put to you!” * January 30th, 1950. “Sir,” I said, a little dazed, “when I first came to Pakistan, I explained that I would tell your people America was a great country and Pakistan’s friend. This I have done and no more. Talk of joining America is silly, and I’m sure you know I know it! Can you control the stories your own journalists print about us? I have even less control over American journalists.” “That is true,” he admitted, “but geologic knowledge is strategic knowledge. How do we know how much you’ll tell your Government?” “I am after all an Americanâ€
From Washington Post of Oct 17 1951;
[quote]Pakistan’s Prime Minister and guiding light, Liaquat All Khan, was assassinated last night during an address at Rawalpindi. His slayer, Sher Akhtar, was described as an advocate of a ”holy war” against India. The incensed crowd attacked the assassin and “tore him to pieces,”[/quote]
…
quote]At United Nations, NY, Pakistan Foreign Minister Sir Mohammed Zafrullah Khan warned that, the assassination will bring “great calamity and suffering”. He was leaving for Karachi by air today.[/quote]
He was not wrong there. After Liaquat Ali it was all downhill.
[quote comment=”34190″]Dear Farrukh, promoting Qadyanis as Mazloom and majority as Zalim Baap of a daughter is not something healthy and appreciable and if you are neutral then you would agree upon that.[/quote]
Its a fact that Qadyanies have been mistreated in Pakistan. It hurts your faith when we talk about Qadyanies. What makes you think you are neutral? i think you are the most biased, and your statements are biased.
[quote comment=”34190″]
As far as asking adil bhai, I think it’s not a sin to ask him after all he’s the main person behind the blog. It’s pretty unfair that you are accusing me that I am blaming him, if I had to blame him then I wouldn’t have wasted words as well as time to write second para. Adil bhai knows pretty well that I don’t pretend and discuss things straight regardless of he likes it or not.[/quote]
You are not asking you are dictating and trying to prove your point that this site is being used to promote qadyaniat. Nobody except you and some narrow minded religious freaks think its a movement for ahmedies.
[quote comment=”34190″]
If you can’t see what people are trying to preach here then it’s not my fault, after all it’s not my duty to uncover your eyes. It is because you don’t want to see. If you are an old visitor then I am not less older visitor than you and I can comeup with several posts/comments which has NO relation with Pakistan and were delibrately created to highlight Ahmedi community or other minorities like seulars etc by offending muslims of this state.[/quote]
Very pretentious again. What makes you think that your eyes are open? and we all are blind. You din’t know untill this form that our founding founders were not even good muslims(according to your standard of muslims).
[quote comment=”34190″]
This is why I or anyone who visits this blog has right to ask concerned people that whether definition of Pakistaniat is changed or what. It’s a fair question and no attempt to attack on Adil’s personality. Offcourse being an admin He and other team members have freedom to ban me or any other but if shuting mouth of others could really help to give justice to “mazloom” minorities then I must support them.[/quote]
Ahmedies are a part of Pakistan because they are pakistani, may be minority, some of our heroes are ahmedies. This is only the second post were this topic came up. Nothing wrong with that, there are more then 100 post here.
I am not ahmedi before you label me, muslim but not a bigot