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.
Mr.Yasser Latif Hamdani,
Thank you for this essay on the life and work of Sir Zafarullah Khan. We need more articles like this to know about our own history and to high light the lives of great Pakistanis. As a child I remember my parents and uncles talking about the hatred spewed against Ahmadiyya sect and particularly against the subject of your article. In Pakistan it is a shame how quickly we slip to the lower level and start calling each other infidel or bad Muslim. Once I had engaged a Qari Sahab to teach Quran to my young nephew. With one eye on my father’s name plate at the front gate the Qari Sahab kept asking me what my ‘religion’ was. Knowing very well what he was after I told him it was Islam. Qari Sahab was not satisfied with my answer because what he really wanted to know was that which sect of Islam my family belonged to. To let him stew in his own juices I never gave him the answer he was looking for.
And to my friend Faisal: It does not matter who was no. one or no. two. They were all great men of much higher caliber than most of us.
[quote comment=”33776″]MU that is Begum Maulana Muhammad Ali…[/quote]
Names from past mingle together. Is it Maulana Muhammad Ali ‘Jauhar’?
The question of religion aside, it is really really sad how little we know about MOST people who were involved in the freedom movement. We know a little about the Quaid but mostly it is government constructed and that is it. I think thsi site and articles like this are doing a service in educating us about people we do not know about. I consider my self well read but did not know that Sir Zafarullah had been on the International Court of Justice. That is a bog honor for a new country. I think we need to learn more about more of these leaders so that we can have a more deep understanding of our own roots.
Pakistan was not created by one man alone. Pakistan is the result of the dreams, struggle and beliefs of men and women who wanted to see a country that is free of opression and where everyone could be what they wanted to be.
I believe that every person who contributed no matter how little or how much should be remembered and honoured and unfortunately it is our loss that we do not do that.
I did not know so much about Sir Zafarrullah Khan and this article was very enlightening. I also think it is sad that our television and film industry has never thought of showing the life stories of these giants that we should certainly be very proud of. These are men who were able to look beyond religions and believed in humanity and justice.
How will my children remember all the sacrifices and names of these, if i an not taught those so well.
Seriously, do you guys think it is possible to have some sort of a quality play organized.I know it sounds tedious but why not? Although i am here in the States but it still could be done. We would need a lot of research ot begin with and then a concerted volunteer effort to bring it to life… Oh Well, i’m day dreaming again.
But thank you for this wonderful article and i hope you will keep writing about our different historical figures.
seems like ylh is seeing jinns because no where in my last post have i mentioned the word mullah much less offer any praise for them.
pakistan was created because muslim league led by jinnah was able to convince a large proportion of muslims of south asia that muslim interest, aspirations, culture etc would be best protected by an entity where muslims would be in control of their own affairs. achievements of muslim league leadership was nothing short of a miracle given the opposition mounted by hindus and goras and by certain sections of muslim population. muslim league’s task was further complicated because of the division that existed in muslim ranks. to argue that a lawyer, who had no standing with the awam, played a greater role in creating pakistan than the second most important leader of muslim league is my opinion, a deliberate distortion of history. its also illogical logical to argue that negotiator of radcliff award had more power than the prime minister of pakistan. among other reasons if there was no pakistan, there would have been no radcliff awards in the first place.
bottomline, ylh like the mullahs he despises is presenting a distorted version of history to make an ideological viewpoint. this is not to minimise the contribution of zafarullah khan in fighting for pakistan’s interest. however his role was not as significant as it is being made out to be.