Professor Ahmed Ali (1910-94) Men of letters. (2005-1)

Date of Issue (January 14, 2005)

PROFESSOR AHMED ALI was born in Delhi in 1910, and educated at Aligarh and Lucknow universities, standing first-class and first in the order of merit in both B.A. (Honours), 1930 and M.A. English, 1931.

Professor Ahmed Ali taught at leading Indian universities including Lucknow and Allabbad from 1932-46 and joined the Bengal Senior Educational Service as Professor and Head of the English Department at Presidency College, Calcutta (1944-47). Professor Ahmed Ali was also BBC's Representative and Director in India during 1942-44. He went to China in 1947 as British Council Visiting Professor of English at the National Central University at Nanking. There, he learnt Chinese and translated from Chinese poets, and gathered material for his book Muslim China; his house became a gathering of friends and China his second home. A year later India was divided and he came from China to Karachi in 1948; becoming Director of Foreign Publicity, Government of Pakistan. He joined the Pakistan Foreign Service at the insistence of Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan, and the first file he received was marked "China" but was blank. He successfully established diplomatic relations with the Peoples Republic of China in record time and the Pakistani embassy in Peking in 1950; and the Embassy in Morocco, in 1958. With Prime Minister Huseyn Shaheed Surahwardy he visited China again in 1956.

Professor Ahmed Ali started his literary career at a very young age and became co-founder of the All-India Progressive Writers' Movement and Association with the publication of Angare in 1932, a collection of short stories by four young friends, which was later banned by the British Government of India in March of 1933. Shortly afterwards Ahmed Ali and Mahmud-uz-Zaffar announced the formation of a "League of Progressive Authors", which was later to expand and become the All-India Progressive Writers' Association. Ahmed Ali presented his paper Art ka Taraqqi-Pasand Nazariya in its lnaugural Conference in 1936. A pioneer of the modem Urdu short story, Ahmed Ali's works include collections of short stories: Sholay (1934); Hamari Gali (1940); Qaid Khana (1942); and Maut Se Pahle (1945).

Ahmed Ali achieved international fame with his novel Twilight in Delhi, which was first published by The Hogarth Press in London in 1940. It was widely acclaimed by critics, and hailed in India as a major literary event, and took the English speaking world by storm. It has since acquired the position of a legend. The leading critic, Maurice Collis, in Time and Tide of London wrote: "It may well be that we may not understand India until it is explained to us by Indian novelists of the first ability as it was that we understood nothing of Russia before we read Tolstoy, Turgenev and the others. Ahmed Ali may well be the vanguard of such a literary movement." This judgement was reechoed by the Oxford History of India in 1958 when it said in reference to Ahmed Ali, Mulk Raj Anand and R.K. Narayan: "... it can be said that they have taken over from E.M. Forster and Edward Thompson the task of interpreting modern India to itself and the world." Twilight in Delhi has been translated into many languages including French, Spanish and Italian. Its exemplary Urdu translation, Dilli ke Sham (1963), by Professor Ahmed Ali stalented wife, Bilqees Jehan, in the opinion of some critics restored the natural language to the book, but those who read it in the translation said it could not have been written in English while those who had read it in the original English said it was untransiatable. This curious controversy was put to an end by the American critic, Dr. David D. Anderson, when he said: "the novel transcends language as any substantial work of art ultimately must do…".

Ahmed Ali's other works include two novels, Ocean of Night and Of Rats and Diplomats; The Prison-House; Purple Gold Mountain; Selected Poems; Mr. Eliot's Penny-world of Dreams; Muslim China; Ghalib: Selected Poems, The Problem of Style and Technique in Ghalib; and The Flaming Earth. Professor Ahmed Ali translated from Urdu, Persian, Indonesian, Chinese and Arabic. His translation of classical Urdu poetry, The Golden Tradition (Columbia University Press, 1973), makes an important contribution to the study of comparative literatures, and surveys in depth the literary and philosophical background of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries.

AI-Qur'an, A Contemporary Translation (Princeton University Press, Oxford University Press & Akrash) is Professor Ahmed Ali's most outstanding contribution in the field of translation. Approved by eminent Islamic scholars, it has come to be recognised as the best of existing translations of the holy Qur'an. In the words of Dr. F. E. Peters of New York University: "Ahmed Ali's work is clear, direct, and elegant - a combination of stylistic virtues almost never found in translations of the Qur'an. His is the best I have read."

Professor Ahmed Ali was a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Humanities at Michigan State University in 1975, Fulbright Visiting Professor of History at Western Kentucy University and Fulbright Visiting Professor of English at Southern Illinois University in 1978-79. He was made an Honorary Citizen by the State of Nebraska in 1979. He was Visiting Professor at the University of Karachi during 1977-79, which later conferred on him an honorary degree of Doctor of Literature in 1993.

A distinguished gentleman of refined taste and manners, Professor Ahmed Ali had a deep interest in sufism and a passion for Ghalib. His writings voiced concern over the decay of Muslim culture and the injustices of colonial powers. Proficient in several languages including French, Chinese, Persian and Qur'anic Arabic, he captivated audiences by his eloquent speech and expression. Steeped in tradition but progressive at heart, he was equally at home in the East and the West. Professor Ahmed Ali had travelled widely, and was an avid collector of Chinese porcelain and paintings, Gandhara art and other antiques. He rubbed shoulders with kings and dignitaries and among his circle of friends were E. M. Forster, George Orwell, Virginia Wolf and the Bloomsbury Group, Han Su Yin, Tien Chen, Sarojini Naidu, Laxmi Pandit, Raja Rao, Jamni Roy, Kunwar Natwar Singh and the Surahwardy family; Mohsin Abdullah and Laurence Brander from Aligarh and Lucknow were his dear friends to the end.

Professor Ahmed Ali's career spanned the better part of the 20th century and he put us in touch with both our past and our present. His renderings of literatures of South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Far East established links which were not yet known, and are remembered respectfully. His creative writings draw wide interest and are an enduring contribution to international letters. He was elected a Founding Fellow of the Pakistan Academy of Letters in 1979 and was awarded the Sitara-i-lmtiaz in 1980 in recognition of his contribution to letters and the nation. Professor Ahmed Ali died in Karachi on 14th January 1994.

Ahmed E. H. Jaffer Commemoration. (2000-7)

JAFFER, Ahmed Ebrahim Haroon, worthy son of a leading business tycoon, the Hon’able Sir Ebrahim Haroon Jaffer Mr. Ahmed Jaffer was born in Poona (India) on 9th August, 1909 and he breathed his last at Islamabad on 3rd February, 1990 while in the service of Pakistan. Almost all his life, he had been travelling extensively all over the world making friends among elite of every county he visited.
Mr. Jaffer was educated at the Anglo-Urdu High School, Poona and later at the Deccan College, Poona. His high calibre can be gauged from the fact that at the young age of 25 he was first elected a member of the Indian Parliament (Indian Central Legislative Assembly) in Delhi in 1934 from Bombay Province which had two Muslim seats. One seat was occupied by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the other by Mr. Ahmed Jaffer which provided him a rare and unique opportunity to work in close association with the Quaid. He was reelected to the Indian Parliament in 1945 and was appointed Deputy Whip of the Muslim League Parliamentary Party of which Quaid-e-Azam was the leader and continued until the establishment of Pakistan on August 14,1947.
Mr. Ahmed Ebrahim Haroon Jaffer (popularly known as Ahmed E. H. Jaffer), S.Pk., C.B.E., a close associate of Quaid-e-Azam, was a leading citizen, businessman and a distinguished parliamentarian with long standing. He was a seasoned leader of exceptional qualities in politics, trade, industry, sports, culture, national and international affairs. Immediately after partition of the subcontinent, Mr. Ahmed Jaffer, migrated to Pakistan in August 1947 and settled down in Karachi. He was elected to the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan tO represent one million refugees who had migrated to Pakistan and settled down in Sindh Province where he served till 1954 when the Assembly was dissolved.
In September 1948, Mr. Ahmed Jaffer was elected Member of the Council of World Movement for one World Government and a Member of the International Steering Committee of the People\'s World Government Conference. An active Rotarian, he was elected President of Karachi Rotary Club in 1951 for a two-year term. He was the founder President of Sindh Karachi Refugee Board and All Pakistan Mohajir Board. He established the first ever well planned refugee colony at Gizri near Clifton in Karachi which provided shelter to thousands of homeless Muslim migrants. He was appointed Advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Refugee Rehabilitation, during the course of the Conference of lndo-Pakistan Prime Ministers, held in Karachi in 1953. He led Pakistan Contingent to the World Olympic Games, London in 1948 and the next year he was elected Life Member of International Olympic Committee.
Mr. Ahmed Jaffer was a Member of the first Pakistan Trade Delegation to West Germany and Czechoslovakia in 1949. He was a delegate to the Inter-Parliamentary Union Conferences held in Dublin (1950); Berne (Switzerland in 1952) and Vienna (Austria 1953). He was a Leader of Pakistan Parliamentary Delegation to World Government Parliamentary Conference held in London in 1954 and delegate to the United Nations in 1975. He was a keen philatelist who had a rich collection of postage
stamps from all over the world. He collected rare stamps from several countries in exchange of Pakistan postage stamps as he was a member of Philatelic Associations in various countries. Thus Mr. Ahmed Jaffer introduced Pakistan postage stamps the world over bringing name and fame to his country.
Mr. Jaffer was awarded high decorations by the President of Austria, His Majesty King of Belgium, President of Brazil, Her Majesty Queen of England, President of Finland, President of Italy, His Majesty King of Jordan, His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, President of the Republic of Spain and President of Pakistan, for his contribution towards development of trade and cordial relations.
Courtesy: - Abdul Kadir Jaffer
To commemorate the Birth Anniversary of Ahmed E.H. Jaffer Pakistan Post Office is issuing a commemorative postage stamp of Rs. 10/- denomination on August 9, 2000.

Painters of Pakistan. (2006-7)

This series is a posthumous tribute to ten great painters who helped to raise an awareness of art in Pakistan and established their names in universal art world.
Any discussion of the contemporary art movement in Pakistan must begin by inquiring into its cultural past, particularly in view of the rich and unique artistic tradition and the heritage of its people. The historical circumstances, which have subscribed to Pakistan, are often referred to as a \'crucible\' of cultures, a traditional meeting-point of East and West. One may trace influences of Aryan and pre-Aryan eras; the Buddhist and the Greek, the Mughal and the Rajput cultural elements. All these influences are clearly visible, though aesthetically integrated, in the artworks of the artists who have inhabited these regions over a period of four to five thousands years.
The arts of painting, modeling and engraving are deeply rooted in this land. Creative artists and their work flourished here through successive periods of history and pre-history. The last of these periods, and the nearest to our own time historically was dominated by the Mughal, a dynamic, vigorous and highly artistic people. In the course of several centuries they became fully integrated with the local population, and greatly contributed to the cultural renaissance in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent.
All these works of individual artists are sensitive to a multiplicity of influences while at the same time striving to evolve individual expressions of their own.
Shakir Ali (1916-1975)
Born in Rampur, Shakir Ali had received an extensive art education at the J.J. School of Art Bombay, the Slade School of Art, London, in France with Andre L\'Hote, and in Prague, before he came to Pakistan. He began by painting in the style of Braque, making bull\'s heads and still life in a Cubist manner. Later, found his own style in which human figures, horses and cattle were reduced to their basic structure in a few bold, powerful lines. There was masterly economy in his style and tremendous force in his line. The distortion of the natural form was based on a close study of nature.
Shakir Ali is acknowledged as the founder of Modern art in Pakistan, and he introduced the philosophy and developments in art to generation of young artist.
His position as teacher gave him a special opportunity to influence the young artists of Lahore. Moreover, his friendly nature brought him in touch with a large section of the cultural world, his persuasive and sincere manner of talking helped him to bring round the young artists to his manner of thinking.
Once a discussion with artists and art critics Shakir Ali said. \"I am not totally abstract. This is a period of symbolism. Every artist passes through this period and I think I am also passing through this period. Similarly the moon and flowers which shine equally all over the world, symbolized universality\".
In this connection, it is relevant to quote some observations that Shakir Ali made in a talk he gave before a gathering in Lahore in 1966.
\"Each one of us is born with a bird, free unfettered, reaching out for the infinite. But owing to the prejudices of our civilization, the restriction of our families and the superimposition of convention, that bird is caged and loss its notes of freedom. I am trying to find that bird in men. And if I do, I will pass it on. That bird will go right from me to you\".
Shakir Ali was one of the first artists to explore calligraphy in a painterly style. He died on January 27, 1975, few days after he attended the funeral of Abdur Rahman Chughtai. He was awarded President\'s Award for the Pride of Performance in 1967 and Sitara-e-lmtiaz in 1971.
Anna Molka Ahmed (1917-1994)
Anna Molka Ahmed was born on August 13, 1917 in London. She was the first art teacher in Pakistan to take her students outdoor to paint their surroundings. Her own work, thick impasto impressions often appear to capture the very essence of sunshine. Professor Emeritus, Punjab University Fine Arts Department, her pioneering work in the field of art education is incalculable. Recognition of her work is documented by way of national awards, which include the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, in 1963, The President\'s Award for the Pride of Performance in 1969 and also the Khudeja Tul Kubra Medal.
A child of mixed Russian and Polish parentage, she was born in 1917 and was drawn to art at an early age. Defying parental disapproval, Anna achieved first a scholarship to St. Martin\'s School of Art in London, followed by a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Art. She met and married fellow artist, Sheikh Ahmed, and left her native London to make her home in the Punjab. Anna Molka set fourth to change art education in Pakistan and launched the Fine Arts Department in the Punjab University in 1940, which she continued to head for over three decades.
Professor Anna Molka Ahmed\'s students were instrumental in establishing Fine Arts Departments throughout Pakistan and many have gained recognition in the art world.
After her retirement, she took great satisfaction in concentrating on her painting, still vibrant and full of interest inspite of health problems. Anna is part of the beginning of art developments in Pakistan. I am, once she said \"the Mother of all the artists.\" The artists are fortunate, she was a gallant matriarch and a great lady. Died in Lahore on April 21, 1994.
Sadequain (1930-1987)
Born in Amroha in 1930 and graduated at Agra University, Sadequain was one of the most prolific artists of Pakistan. He was wholly self-taught and after some efforts, crystallized his art into a very distinct and personal idiom. Sadequain made his name as a painter of large murals in public buildings, the first of which was in Jinnah Hospital and the second at Karachi Airport in 1957 where he painted Sindhi and Balochi women with their long embroidered gowns, carrying water pitchers.
In 1960 he was awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz by the government, won top honours in a national Art Exhibition and was invited to Paris by the French Committee of the International Association of Plastic Arts. There, he was awarded at the Paris Biennale.
From 1969 to 1985, he devoted himself to calligraphy, of which he developed an entirely new style. His calligraphic style is an icon of standard and widely followed. He painted the different verses of the Sura Rahman from the Quran and made each verse into a painting. Painterly calligraphy became popular with all artists and the public in Pakistan after Sadequain.
Sadequain traveled intensively for long periods of time, showing his work in London, New York, Australia, Romania and Russia. He journeyed through India for two years, showing his work in major cities, painting and sketching ceaselessly. In 1972, he was engaged in painting the ceiling of the Lahore Museum with the epic mural, The Evolution of Mankind.
Shortly before his death, he again came back to painting and was working on the most prodigious painting project of his life on the theme \"Man and his Universe\" when he died, leaving it only three-fourth complete. It has been installed on the ceiling of Liaquat Hall (former Frere Hall) in Karachi by his pupil, Anwar. He received Pride of Performance in 1962.
Ali Imam (1924-2002)
Ali Imam started painting in 1941 when he joined the evening classes of the Nagpur School of Art. He held his first one-man show at Rawalpindi in 1952. Included in this exhibition were watercolour street scenes of Lahore of pastoral activity, such as winnowing, threshing by village women. After graduating from Gordon College, Rawalpindi, in 1949; he worked with peasants in villages as a Communist party worker till 1951. His observation of village life was projected in his paintings, like Punjabi village women at their homely tasks, churning curd to make butter, grinding corn and pounding spices with mortar, the women sat on low high-backed chairs, typical of rural Punjab. In his work figures are utterly simplified and are heavily swathed in loose garments.
Ali Imam went to London in 1956 where he lived till 1967. On his return, he developed a simple yet sophisticated style in which human figures, horses and other objects were shown in his paintings with soft subdued greys, blues, browns and yellows and neutral colours. Later his design quality became less but great emphasis given on the text of the paint. For this he laid pigment on pigment in related hues in such dots and patches so that the lower layers glimmered through and certain colours vibrations were created.
Ali Imam was of the first generation of Pakistan artists and promoter. From 1970 till 2002 he was running the Indus Gallery Karachi where many notable artists have held their first shows. His sole aim was to promote artist, create a public awareness and educate art collectors, May 23, 2002, was the day, when a very important chapter of Pakistan art history closed.
He was awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz and President\'s Award for the Pride of Performance.
Zubeida Agha (1922-1997)
Her birth place is Layallpur now Faisalabad, a woman with the courage of her convictions, Zubeida lived her life for art, creating paintings that will enable future generations to share her extraordinary vision.
Zubeida Agha graduated in Philosophy from Kinniard College and cast about for explanations for her wildly coloured dreams about painting. She began her study of art with Sanyal in Lahore. In her early work, she attempted to explore the theme in the medium of sculpture, also surrealistic paintings, done in somber colours with titles \"Wisdom\", \"Beethoven\'s Fifth Symphony. Deserted Street and so on.
Offered an art scholarship in 1950, Zubeida enrolled at St. Martin\'s School of Arts, London but six months later transferred to the Ecole des Beau Arts, Paris and there, she began her serious study of art.
Zubeida thoroughly explored the possibilities of colour, returning to Pakistan in 1953, with an intense, vigorously imaginative style of painting.
Her opinions on modern art developments were definite. What is the point of painting problems, does it solve anything?\" \"Galleries, are more interested in sales than standards and the artists are complicit in this, \"Without sincerity there is no true art,\" she once said.
In 1965, Zubeida Agha was Awarded the President\'s Award for the Pride of Performance.
Laila Shahzada (1926-1994)
Laila Shahzada\'s early years of schooling were spent in England. Adolescence was spent in the family home in India, where she was surrounded by the traditions of the past. She spoke of silver furniture, bowls of pearls, iridescent ornaments cool to the touch that were intrinsic ingredients of this period in her life. Reality came with partition, when life itself became the only object to be considered. Her earliest paintings of the 1950s were delicate tentative, in marked contrast to the later forceful work executed as \'Drift Moods\'. Initially trained in England in drawing and watercolour, Laila received early encouragement in Pakistan from Fyzee Rahamin and his musicologist wife, Attiya Begum. In those days, there were few women artists in Pakistan, and it was Nagi who taught her to use oils. She made a great impact on the media when the “Drift Moods” paintings were exhibited in 1964, a series inspired by pieces of driftwood battered into distorted forms by the power of the sea. These Laila compared to the human condition, forced into unnatural shapes by stronger powers. Later inspired by the artifacts of the Indus Valley Civilization, she worked on a series titled “Moenjodaro”, shown in New York, where she was awarded a gold medal and the Key of the city of New York in 1975. Laila has painted seventy historical paintings, a substantial contribution to this genre. In 1995 her work was included in an exhibition of Paintings from Pakistan at the Pacific, Asia Museum, California where her landscape paintings were graded with those of Georgia O\'keefe. She was awarded the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz in 1986, and in 1994 was posthumously awarded The Presidents Award for the Pride of Performance.
Ahmed Parvez (1926-1979)
Ahmed Parvez born in Rawalpindi on June 7, 1926 was a most prolific painter. From 1955 to 1964, he lived in London and there developed a purely abstract style in which short swift strokes, arcs, ellipses, whorls and circles, were used to build up a design that seemed to explode and erupt and fly apart but were firmly held together in a coherent pattern. Parvez was renewed for painting of ingenious and intricate abstract compositions. From his first solo exhibition in 1952 to his last in 1979, Parvez passed through many phases as a painter. During all these years his work was marked by bursts of nervous energy expressed in vigorous short strokes sharp turns and twists of the line.
Though his work is prismatically colourful, it is basically linear. He conceived a composition and drew, often in thick black line, filled with intense bright colours, which many linked to jewels.
Some of his linear motifs are like Islamic arabesque made up of long hooks, loops, curls, elongated shapes and tear shapes, but in Parvez they are not languid but always bursting with an contemporary in character.
Parvez was Awarded President\'s Award for the Pride of Performance in 1978.
Bashir Mirza (1941 -2000)
Bashir Mirza was born in Amritsar. His father was a woodwork designer. He came to Pakistan on August 14, 1947. After graduating from National College of Arts with distinction in 1962. Bashir set off for Karachi to seek fame and fortune. On the strength of his work he was offered a job at the Pakistan Security corporation in 1962 and accepted it with alacrity as his first stepping stone to independence. He was impatient to explore other avenues and handed in his registration.
Soon after leaving his first post, Bashir joined an advertising agency, where his creative ability outweighed his resistance to routine. His salary increased and he learned a lot about the business of advertising and public relations.
Bashir planned to open an Art Gallery at the end of 1965, it was a milestone of an art event. Artists of Lahore and Karachi contributed work to the premiere exhibition and a select group of invitees, artists, the media, diplomats and VIPs attended the smart reception.
During the gallery years BM painted a large body of work. He was above all a figurative painter; the human form and how it mirrored individual emotions fascinated him. As a device, he incorporated contrasting abstract elements in his work, very individual and very much of his own style.
From 1969 to 1971, he visited Germany and on return painted two very striking series, which he called “The Lonely Girl” series and “Flower Flowers” series. This series heralded a major period in Bashir Mirza\'s creative maturity, highlighting the artist\'s superb manipulation of his medium and brilliant sense of composition. In the first, lightly clad females were shown in dramatic poses with billowing costumes of diaphanous material with bright colours. In the second, square canvases were filled with a woman\'s head and a magnified flower. In 1989 he painted on large canvases some of the faces he had drawn in pen and ink in his portfolio \"People of Pakistan\" From 1990 till death he had been painting in thick brush strokes vigorously applied, under the influence of the Indian artist F.N. Souza, but with brighter colours and more attractive forms, with great spontaneity.
He was awarded President\'s Award for the Pride of Performance in 1994.
Zahoorul Akhlaque (1941-1999)
Zahoorul Akhlaque joined the famous art institute of Lahore in 1958 when it was elevated from the Mayo School of Art to the National College of Art. The College was fortunate to get in those years a new Principal in the person of Prof. Sponenburgh while Shakir Ali was promoted Professor of Art. As a student of Fine Art, Zahoor came in close contact with Shakir Ali and received his close attention and encouragement. After graduation from the College in 1962, Zahoor joined as a teacher in the Fine Arts Department.
Under the influence of such a highly gifted teacher and guide it was natural for Zahoor to be influenced by the Cubist style and other modern ideas of Shakir Ali.
He used the format of the manuscript page and the royal edict with calligraphic effects in his paintings before going to London. There he was irresistibly drawn towards the Mughal miniatures in the British Museum. During 1966-67, he studied at the Hornsey College of Art, London and during 1968-69 at the Royal College of Art. Four years of higher education in these famous art institutions and the opportunity to see and study an treasures of London, helped the artist to evolve and mature.
In the huge painting that he displayed in the National Exhibition held at Lahore in March, 1985, Zahoor took up a nationalist theme, the heroes of the Pakistan Movement, which was formally launched at Lahore in March, 1990. The canvas was divided into small squares and many of them were filled with small portraits of the makers of Pakistan. These were actually photographs pasted and painted over. In the center was a large portrait of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
One of the artists memorable paintings was titled, \"A Study for a Butterfly\". It shows a hugh black cloud representing an atomic explosion. Caught in this fearful dark cloud is a colourful butterfly painted in bright green and orange. It is bravely fluttering its way through deadly smoke, as the symbol of hope and surviving life. Zahoor lost her life accidentally along with his daughter on January 18, 1999.
He was awarded, the President\'s Award for the Pride of Performance, award posthumously in 2005.
Askari Mian Irani (1940-2004)
In 1967, Askari graduated from N.C.A. in Commercial Design and not painting, which he would have personally preferred, but his father wanted to see him as commercial designer. Till 1976, he remained in the business of advertising, but became disillusioned and dissatisfied with the nature of his job. His first love and passion had always been painting and he felt that his potential as painter was being stifled. So a job opening in the design department of N.C.A., seemed timely. In 1976 he came back to Lahore, joined NCA ; Assistant Professor of design, and was promoted to Associate Professor till his retirement in 2000. In his mature work, Askari Mian Irani developed a new style, assimilating alphabets, syllables and numerical. Architectural elements both structural and decorative, equestrian figures in princely costumes, derived from the country visions of Mughal India, were all part of his idiom. Glowing with colours, rich with textures, his paintings show a vast variation in the use of eastern motifs. Askari plucks them from their traditional context to place them in visually different and exiting variations, making paintings come alive with a fresh immediacy. His paintings communicate to viewers on different levels and can be appreciated equally by those for whom the motifs mean something, as well as those for whom they are no more than elements of design.
He was awarded the President\'s Award for the Pride of Performance in 2002.

Muhammad Luthfullah Khan 1916-2012 (2012-24)

Muhammad Luthfullah Khan (The Archivist) 1916 – 2012 Commemorative Postage Stamp November 25, 2012:- Muhammad Luthfullah Khan, an Archivist, a Photographer and a Writer, was born at Madras (now called Chennai) on November 25, 1916. His father used to work for the South Indian Railways. He was educated in Madras but moved to Hyderabad later to Mumbai in search of employment. He had extra ordinary fascination for music and singing from his childhood. He participated as amateur singer at the Madras Boys and Girls Exhibition in the year 1931 and received the merit award for Hindustani Music. He signed an agreement  in 1933 for classical singing with the Indian State Broadcasting Service, later re-named as All India Radio. He performed publicly at the age of 19, during a radio concert in 1935. Known as Madras Radio Artist, he sang Ghazals at a function of Muslim Students Association of St. Xavier’s College in January 1939 and rendered classical singing at Bombay in December the same year. After partition he left India and came to Pakistan on October 17. 1947 and settled in Karachi. During quarter century of daily practice (1963 – 1988), he practiced singing with Maulana Abdul Shakoor (newphew of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan) and explored the intricacies of only one raag, the Darbari.

As a young writer his books (Pehloo, Dukhti Ragaeen etc.) were published in early 1936. He performed his first sound recording (voice of his mother) on 29^th of July 1951 by using “Sound Mirror” tape recorder, having a single speed of 7.5 inches Per second. Paper tape, coated with magnetic material, was used.

His museum gallery displays rare photographs, photography equipment, international and Pakistani coins, a set of 12 inch 78 rpm discs of Late “Barey Ghulam Ali Khan Sahib”, sound recording equipment and accessories, drawing instrument and stationary items used in documenting the collections and personal items of nostalgic importance as well as a wonderful matchbox collection. (This was his main hobby also). But the pick of this array is an album containing posters of old Hindi and American movies, some of them dating back to twenties. (Late Mr. Theodore Phailbus had the most wonderful collection of Posters in Pakistan). All are arranged in properly illuminated showcases and display boards.

Electronic devices installed include “Revox” tape recorders. Such a broad based collection requires periodic maintenance for which he gas established in a separate room a small workshop with inventory of spares and tools.

His archive contains a large number of rare books on a variety of subjects, including religion. In this personal files, papers are arranged in chronological order in a healthy state. Indexing has been done in simple manner to facilitate easy location of the desired document. His monumental work is un-paralleled in the literary history of the sub-continent.

Different articles were published on his work in the newspapers and magazines. Up to the year 2001, the total number of such essays was 185. Muhammad Luthfullah” Khan penned down eight books pertaining to Urdu literature, Islamic Studies, history and those informing about the lives of great poets and prose writers including:-

1.    Tamashaey – Ahley – Qalam

2.    Sur ki Talaash

3.    Hijratoun key silsiley

4.    Zindagi ka Safar

He has tanscribed all the Urdu Ghazals of Mirza Ghalib into Roman Alphabets. His library comprises the following six categories:

1.    Music of the subcontinent.

2.    Urdu literature – Poetry (Ghazals, Marsia, etc.) and Prose (Novel, Tanqeed etc.)

3.    Religion (Religious books – recitation and narration)

4.    Speeches of public figures including Mr. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan and Mr. Z.A. Bhutto

5.    Education – Mainly Music and Urdu Literature.

6.    Art – Fine Arts, Interviews supported with transparencies, Musical Instruments description with slides.

The music section is further categorized as under:-

1.    Instrumental

2.    Pure Classical

3.    Semi Classical

4.    Ghazal

5.    Geet

6.    Folklore

7.    Qawali

The taped recordings of each category are contained in different colour boxes. Original Gramophone records have been preserved.

Muhammad Luthfullah Khan, till the age of 96 was working to collect cassettes of Urdu verse and prose. He had archived a wide variety of more than 5,000 voices including the speeches of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad and poetry of great poets like Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Friaq Gorakhpuri, Josh Maleeh Abadi, Noon Meem Rashid, Hafeez Jalandhri, Akhtar-ul-Iman and many other eminent poets. Faiz Ahmed Faiz has gifted recording of his poetry in his voice.

Muhammad Luthfullah Khan has computerized his directory of musical collection. The same Raag is indexed for different instruments and vocalists. Among the vocalists he often listens to, with devotion, are Salamat Ali Khan, Amanat Ali Khan, and Roshan Ara Begum. His most liked Vichtarveena player in Pakistan is Habib Khan. Other outstanding instrumentalists include Ustad Bundoo Khan for “Sarangi” and Sharif Khan Ponchwala for Sitar. He considers Villayat Khan as unique in playing of Sitar.

Most of the catalogues have been prepared through computer in the shape of properly bound hard copies. It was too much of a work to be done by a single person.

This is the lifetime achievement of a dedicated hobbyist – indeed a wonderful work, which may not have a match in the Subcontinent.

His birth place in India (Madras / Channai), is said to have another collector of old records namely Mr. V.A.K. Ranga Rao.

In recognition of his splendid contributions to the field of Art, Literature and Culture, which was span on more than 70 years, especially pres4erving national and international Heritage in shape of cassettes, CDs and books, he was conferred upon a large number of awards from different organizations and circles indlucing Presidential Award for Pride of Performance by the President Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 2012, National Literary Award for the year 1998 on his book “Hijratoon Ke Silsle” and Kamal-e-Fun Award (Life time achievements) awards by the Pakistan Academy of Letters, Islamabad.

Muhammad Luthfullah Khan, passed away on Saturday, March 3, 2012 at the age of 96. He was committed and devoted person who spent most of his life collecting voices from different walks of life.

To pay tribute Muhammad Luthfullah Khan (The Archivist), Pakistan Post is issuing a commemorative postage stamp denomination of Rs. 15/- on November 25, 2012.

Independence Day. (2009-9)

Independence Day:- The first brick in the foundation of Pakistan was laid in 712 A.D. when Mohammad Bin Qasim anchored at Debal Port (now know as Karaqchi), freed the Muslim women and children from the prisons of Raja Dahir and constructed the first mosque in the town. Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the Founder of Pakistan, acclaimed the event by stating “the Pakistan Movement started when the first Muslim put his foot on the soil of Sindh – the Gateway of Islam in India”
The Pakistan Movement was synonymous with the very spirit of Islam. The War of Independence in 1857 was an open manifestation of the Muslim Spirit of revolt against the domination of British Government and its stooges in India. Frustration and lack of direction, however, pervaded the rank of Muslims after the unfortunate failure in the War. At this critical juncture emerged Sir Syed Ahmed Khan who served as a beacon of light for the Muslim Nation in distress and disarray. He equated education with power and declared that Muslims could improve their political, social and economic condition only through the medium of modern and scientific education. He cultivated the concept of a separate Muslim Nation on the basis of religion, culture and history. “He inspired the Muslims of the Sub-Continent to demand a separate homeland” where they could arrange their lives and affairs of the state according to the dictates of the Holy Quran and Sunnah.
After the partition of Bengal in 1905, the opposition of the Indian National Congress and its leadership compelled the Muslims to establish a political party to protest their rights. Thus in 1906, the Muslim league was founded as a challenge to the Indian National Congress. Maulana Hasrat Mohani presented a plan to the Government for the country envisaging two separate states for the Hindus and Muslims.
Chaudhary Rehmat Ali further developed this concept and coined the word “Pakistan”. He displayed great wisdom and foresight by putting forth not only a name but in large measure the scheme that culminated in the creation of Pakistan. Maulana Muhammad Ali, Maulana Shakat Ali and Maulana Zafar Ali Khan spread the message of Movement through their lucid lectures and articles in newspapers.
Allam Iqbal iniated his efforts in the second decade of twentieth century to awaken the Muslims of India from the state of slumber which had dangerously retarded their moral and material progress leaving them far behind in the race of opportunities. He determined to extract the Muslim community from the backwardness by infusing a burning zeal among the depressed and dejected Muslims, lost in the wilderness.
Allam Iqbal, being conscious of the implications of the political development, propagated his ideas about a separate state for the Muslims in his Presidential Address delivered on 29th of December 1930 at Allahabad. Presiding over the 31st session of the All India Muslim League he said:”The principle of European democracy cannot be applied to India without recognizing the fact of communal groups. The Muslim demand for the creation of Muslim India within India is, therefore, perfectly justified.
After a great and heroic struggle by Muslims of the sub-continent, under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah the British Parliament was forced to approve the Indian Independence Act, 1947 leading to the birth of Pakistan on 14th August, 1947. On this historic day, the Quaid-e-Azam while addressing the first session of Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in Karachi eulogized the services and sacrifices of the Muslims of the sub-continent to achieve Pakistan in the following words:-
“My thoughts are with the valiant fighters n our cause who readily sacrificed all they had, including their lives, to make Pakistan possible”.
Thus the response of the millions, sacrificing their lives and homes, to the call of “Unity, Faith and Discipline” from their Quaid-e-Azam firmly placed Pakistan on the world map.
The Governor General of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in his address at the University grounds on Thursday 30th October, 1947, the biggest public meeting in the political history of Lahore said,
“We have achieved our cherished goal of freedom and have established Pakistan as an independent sovereign state, fifth largest in the world. The freedom can never be attained by nation with out suffering and sacrifice, has been amply borne out by the recent tragic happenings in unparalleled difficulties and untold sufferings, we have been through dark days of apprehension and anguish: but I can say with confidence that with courage and self-reliance and by the grace of God we shall emerge triumphant”.To commemorate the Independence day. Pakistan Post is issuing a Commemorative Postage Stamp Rs.5/- denomination on August 14, 2009.

57th Independence Anniversary of Pakistan. (2004-13)

Pakistan Movement is synonymous with the very spirit of Islam. The war of Independence in 1857 was an open manifestation of the Muslim spirit of revolt against the domination of the British Government and its stooges in India. Frustration and lack of direction, however, pervaded the rank of Muslims after the unfortunate failure in the War. At this critical moment Sir Syed Ahmed Khan came to the rescue of the Muslims and served as a beacon light for the Muslims in distress and disarray. He equated education with power and declared that the Muslims could improve their political, social and economic condition only through the medium of modern and scientific education. He cultivated the concept of a separate Muslim Nation on the basis of religion, culture and history. He inspired the Muslims of the sub-continent to demand a separate homeland where they could arrange their lives and affairs of the State according to the dictates of Holy Ouran and Sunnah.

The Indian National Congress was established in 1885, the Muslim leaders saw through the game of "National Movement" and warned their people of the hovering dangers. After the partition of Bengal in 1905, the opposition of the Indian National Congress and its leadership compelled the Muslims to establish a political party to protest their rights. Thus in 1906, the Muslim league was founded as a challenge to the Indian National Congress. Maulana Hasrat Mohani presented a plan to the Government for the country envisaging two separate states for the Hindus and Muslims. Chaudhary Rehmat Ali further developed this concept and coined the word 'Pakistan'. He displayed great wisdom and foresight by putting forth not only a name but in large measure the scheme that culminated in the creation of Pakistan. Maulana Muhammad Ali, Maulana Shaukat Ali and Maulana Zafar Ali Khan spread the message of Movement through their lucid lectures and articles in newspapers.

lqbal initiated his efforts in the second decade of twentieth century to awaken the Muslims of India from the state of slumber which had dangerously retarded their moral and material progress leaving them far behind in the race of opportunities. He determined to extract the Muslim community from the backwardness by infusing a burning zeal among the depressed and dejected Muslims, lost in the wilderness.

Iqbal, being conscious of the implications of political development, propagated his ideas about a separate state for the Muslims in his Presidential Address delivered on 29th of December 1930 at Allahabad. Presiding over the 31st session of the All India Muslim League he said: "The principle of European democracy cannot be applied to India without recognizing the fact of communal groups. The Muslim demand for the creation of Muslim India within India is, therefore, perfectly justified.

After a great and heroic struggle by the Muslims of the sub-continent, under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah the British Parliament was forced to approve the Indian Independence Act, 1947 leading to the birth of Pakistan on 14th August, 1947. On this historic day, the Quaid-i-Azam while addressing the first session of Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in Karachi eulogized the services and sacrifices of the Muslims of the sub-continent to achieve Pakistan in the following words:-

"My thoughts are with the valiant fighters in our cause who readily sacrificed all they had, including their lives, to make Pakistan possible".

Thus the response of the millions, sacrificing their lives and homes, to the cal of "UNITY, FAITH AND DISCIPLINE" from their Quaid-i-Azam firmly placed Pakistan on the world map.

Quaid-i-Azam was one of the most dynamic personalities of South Asia, who vehemently advocated morality in politics. He declared that morality in politics was even more important than in private life "because if you do something wrong in public you hurt and harm more people".

The Governor General of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, addressed in the University grounds on Thursday 30th October 1947, the biggest public meeting in the political history of Lahore. The Quaid said:

"We have achieved our cherished goal of freedom and have established Pakistan as an independent sovereign state, fifth largest in the world. That freedom can never be attained by nation without suffering and sacrifice, has been amply borne out by the recent tragic happenings in unparalleled difficulties and untold sufferings, we have been through dark days of apprehension and anguish: but I can say with confidence that with courage and self-reliance and by the grace of God we shall emerge triumphant". Date of Issue (August 14, 2004)

Dr. Imtiaz Ali Taj. (2001-11)

Syed lmtiaz Ali Taj, prose and drama writer, was born in Lahore on October 13, 1900. After his education, he was able to partake in his father's publishing institution, Dar-ul-Ishaat Punjab.

During his college days he showed his literary qualities by translating and directing several English plays, and then staging them for the college. He sometimes played female roles as girls in his time were not allowed to act.

His earliest involvement with publications began with 'Phool', a children's periodical and 'Tahzeeb-e-Niswan' for women readership.

In 1918 he began the literary magazine called 'Kehkashan' in collaboration with his friend, Maulana Abdul Majeed Salik. In Phool he had the assistance of the famous short story writer Ghulam Abbas Ahmed as well as young Ahmed Nadeem Oasmi.

He translated into Urdu Shakespeare's play 'A Mid Summer Nights Dream' and entitled it in 'Sawan Rain ka sapna'. In 1922 he wrote 'Anarkali', which became a landmark in Urdu drama writing. This was later adapted into feature films in India and Pakistan.

In 1926 he wrote a play 'Chacha Chhakan' which was similar to the famous characters 'Uncle Podger' of the English dramatist Jerome, Chacha Chhakan remains until today the most humorous character in the Urdu literature.

Apart from criticism on drama, he also wrote radio plays, novels, short stories and several film stories, some of them directed by him. As the Director of 'Majlis' he republished many critical works of Urdu literature.

After the establishment of Pakistan, Syed lmtiaz Ali Taj conducted a daily feature 'Pakistan Hamara Hai' for Radio Pakistan. It was no doubt a popular programme.

On 19th April, 1970 while he was asleep, he was shot dead by some unknown persons. His wife Hijab lmtiaz Ali was seriously wounded. Date of Issue (October 13, 2001)

Pioneers Of Freedom (Series)

NAWAB MOHSIN-UL-MULK (1837-1907)
Syed Mehdi Ali, better known by his title Mohsin-ul-Mulk awarded by Nizam of Hyderabad, belonged to a poor Syed family of Etawa, UP (India). He was the son of Mir Zamin All and was born on 9 December, 1837. He did not receive any formal education rather learnt Persian and Arabic at home and later was taught by Maulana lnayat Hussain at Phapund near Etawa. He gave up his studies and became a clerk in the District Revenue office of the East India Company at the tender age of 17 in 1857. He later got promoted as Tehsildar of Etawa in 1861. He thereafter appeared in an open competitive examination in 1867 and became Deputy Collector, Mirzapur and soon proved his acumen as an able administrator.
In 1874 he was picked up by Sir Salar Jang, Prime Minister of Hyderabad State, which he served with distinction for 19 years retiring in 1893. During this period he held the offices of Inspector General of Revenue, Commissioner of Settlement, in Survey Department and Revenue Secretary. He became Finance and Political Secretary in 1884. He also undertook journey to England in 1888 and met the Liberal statesman Gladstone. He was instrumental in replacing Persian by Urdu as the court language. He was awarded by the Nizam of Hyderabad with the title of Muneer Nawaz Jang, Mohsinud-Daula Mohsin-uI-MuIk. After earning his pension in 1893 he settled in Aligarh.
Although in the beginning he was critical of some of the literary work of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan yet, his personal meeting with Sir Syed in 1863 filled him with deep respect for this great person and he became one of his ardent admirers and a chief lieutenant. He played a leading part in furthering the objectives of the Aligarh Movement and contributed scholarly articles on religion, education and morals to Sir Syed’s journal Tehzib-ul-Akhlaq. Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk infused new life into All India Muhammedan Conference\' whose activities he guided and expanded as Secretary from 1896 to 1906. He was also twice elected as its President and made a mark as a gifted speaker at the Conferences. He worked indefatigably and toured different parts of the country to raise funds for the Muhammedan Anglo Oriental (MAO) College. After the death of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Nawab Mohsin-uI-MuIk opted as Secretary of the College and thereby saved it from virtual bankruptcy. The MAO College witnessed an un-paralleled era of educational expansion and cultural activities during his tenure. The crowning achievement of his career was the 35 member All India Muslim Deputation that he organized and which presented the memorandum to the Viceroy Lord Minto at Simla and achieved the grant of separate representation for Muslims in legislative bodies in October, 1906.
He was appointed, alongwith Viqar-ul-Mulk, Joint Secretary of the All India Muslim League at its inaugural Session in Dhaka in 1906. He was a great advocate of Muslim cause in India and ardently opposed Muslims participation in the Indian National Congress.
Nawab Mohsin-uI-MuIk died at Simla on 16 October, 1907.
SIR SHAH NAWAZ BHUTTO (1888-1957)
Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto, a politician of great repute, belonged to the landed aristocracy of Sindh and was the son of Ghulam Murtaza Khan Bhutto. He was born in his ancestral village, Garhi Khuda Bux Bhutto in Larkana District (Sindh) in 1888.
He got his early education at Sindh Madressah and later at St. Patrick High School at Karachi.
Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto was Member Imperial Legislative Council from 1919 to 1920. He was made Honorary First Class Magistrate, District Larkana in 1921. He was nominated Chairman, Cooperative Bank, District Larkana and President, District Local Board, Larkana in 1921-1934.
He was also Member of the Bombay Legislative Council from 1921 to 1936. He was President Muhammedan Association, Sindh in 1924.
He was a Delegate to the Round Table Conference in London in 1930-1931.
He remained Minister, Local Self Government, Bombay Presidency from 1934 to 1936.
Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto was the President of Sindh Azad Conference and Adviser to Government of Sindh from 1936 to 1937. In the 23rd Session of the All India Muslim League held in Delhi in November, 1933, Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto was elected as Vice President of All India Muslim League.
Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto played a key role in the separation of Sindh from Bombay Presidency in 1935-36. He became Member Public Service Com-mission for Bombay & Sindh in 1937 and remained so till 1947. Meanwhile, he became Senior Member, Executive Council, Junagarh State. In 1947, he occupied the most coveted position in Junagarh as its Prime Minister. He was deeply impressed by the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and most successfully led the Pakistan Movement in the State of Junagarh. Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto has left an indelible mark in the history of our freedom movement by advising the Ruler of Junagarh to declare its accession to Pakistan an act of supreme devotion toward the cause of Muslim freedom in the Indo-Pakistan Sub-continent.
After the creation of Pakistan, Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto migrated to his dreamland, \'Pakistan and gave to its people and the country two eminent leaders in the person of Shaheed Zulfiqar All Bhutto, his beloved son and Benazir Bhutto his loving grand daughter. He died in November, 1957.
NAWAB VIQAR-UL-MULK (1841-1917)
Mushtaq Hussain, widely known as Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk, was the son of Munshi Fazal Hussain and was born in a Village in Moradabad District, UP (India) in 1841. He got his early education at Amroha. After passing his Entrance Examination in 1859 he joined Roorke Engineering College but left studies un-finished and instead joined as a temporary Assistant Teacher in his hometown. His work in the Moradabad famine brought him to the notice of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, then Sub-Judge at Aligarh, who appointed him as his Reader in 1861. Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk assisted Sir Syed in his educational work in many ways. On Sir Syed\'s transfer to Banaras, Viqar-ul-Mulk worked under Moulvi Samiullah Khan. The two became friends and co-workers for / life. He helped Samiullah Khan in running the elementary school started by the College Foundation Committee Aligarh in 1873 and was a leading member of the Aligarh Scientific Society and an important contributor to Sir Syed Ahmed Khans \'Tehzib-ul-Akhlaq.
On recommendation of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan he joined the Hyderabad State service where he was appointed Inspector of Courts. He also held high appointments there but resigned in 1892. The title of Viqar-ul-Mulk was awarded by Nizam of Hyderabad during his service in Hyderabad State.
Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk settled down in Amroha and became member of the Amroha Municipal Board and remained so up till 1900. He took leading part in the attempt to form a Muslim political organization. He organized a meeting at Lucknow in October 1901 and toured the country to canvas support for the idea and convened a public meeting of Muslims at Saharanpur in July, 1903 at which was formed the \'Muslim Muhammedan Political Association\'.
He was instrumental in drafting \'Muslim Memorial alongwith Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk and Imad-ul-Mulk and was one of the members of the Muslim Delegation that presented the Memorial to the Viceroy at Simla in October 1906. Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk presided over the Inaugural Session of All India Muslim League at Dhaka in December 1906-7. He became Secretary, All India Muslim League from 1907-8 and Member, Central Committee in the First Session at Aligarh in March 1908. He was also Member of Reforms Sub-Committee in the Second Session of the All India Muslim League held in Amritsar in December, 1908. He was elected Vice President of the All India Muslim League in its Third Session in January, 1910 and re-IN elected Vice President in the Seventh Session held at Agra in December, 1913.
Following the death of Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk, he resigned as Secretary of All India Muslim League in 1908 to take over as Secretary of the MAO College and remained so till \'1913 when he resigned due to ill health. He was not in favour of Muslims joining All India Congress. Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk died on 27 January, 1917.
PIR ILAHI BUX (1890-1975)
Pir Ilahi Bux was born at Pir Jo Goth in 1890 in a spiritual family of District Dadu. He was only 9 years of age when his father Pir Nawaz Ali Shah died. He was brought up by his maternal uncle Fir Lal Muhammad. His family was a descendant of Makhdoom Moosa, 5th son of Hazrat Makhdoom Sarwar Nooh Rahmatullah Alaih.
Pir Sahib got his primary education from the Government High School Bhan Syedabad and did his matriculation from Naz High School, Khairpur (Mirs). Thereafter, he went to Aligarh Muslim University for his higher education. He was the first member of his family who received higher education. Deeply moved by the Khilafat Movement, led by Maulana Muhammad Au Jauhar, he soon left Aligarh Muslim University and joined Jamia Millia headed by Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar and did his B.A. from there. But this Degree was not recognised by the British Government. He was so deeply motivated by the Khilafat Movement and the struggle for the freedom of the Muslim Ummah that he left his studies and returned to Sindh as a leader of Khilafat Movement.
On the suppression of the Khilafat Movement by the British Government, Pir Sahib was advised by Late Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto, the then President, District Local Board, Larkana to go back to Aligarh for completing his studies. He also awarded him scholarship of the District Board for pursuing his educational career. Fir Sahib acceded to the advice of Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto and proceeded to Aligarh Muslim University from where he did his M.A. in History and thereafter obtained his degree in Bachelor of Law. Fir Sahib soon returned to Larkana and started his legal practice.
He also started taking part in politics. He was elected member of Sindh Legislative Assembly in 1937 in the election held under the 1935 Act. He got elected again by defeating influential landlords and zamindars of that time.
He founded the Sindh United Front\' which aimed at separating Sindh from Bombay Province which ultimately contributed significantly toward the establishment of Sindh as a separate Province.
He was inducted in Sindh Cabinet headed by Late Allah Bux Soomro and was given the portfolio of Education. Fir Sahib remained Education Minister for ten years.
Pir Sahib having been deeply inspired by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, soon joined Muslim League and became one of his most trusted Lieutenants. He was an indefatigable fighter for education in Sindh and strived hard to introduce adult education and compulsory primary education in every nook and corner of the province.
Having been deeply committed to the cause of education, he steered Sindh University Act in the Assembly and got it through. Quaid-e-Azam was deeply moved by this act of Pir Illahi Bux and personally donated Rs. 150,00OI-towards the University at that time.
Pir Sahib was one of the pioneers of S.M. College and remained as the President of Sindh Madressah Board for years together.
In 1948 he was nominated the Chief Minister of Sindh Province by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad All Jinnah. Pir Sahib was always proud to have been nominated as the Chief Minister of Sindh by no less than the Quaid-e-Azam himself. He was also the founder of Karachi University and was the prime mover of the establishment of Urdu College, Karachi.
He was deeply perturbed over the mass influx of refugees from India during the early period of the establishment of Pakistan and initiated a number of moves for the settlement of refugees in Sindh. He established the famous Pir Illahi Bux Colony in Karachi toward the end in 1948.
He was also instrumental in inviting eminent educationists from Aligarh Muslim University, his alma mater, to serve the Muslims of Pakistan by appointed them in the Sindh University. One of such personalities was Professor A.B.A. Haleem from the Aligarh Muslim University, who was appointed by him as the first Vice Chancellor of Sindh University. Pir Illahi Bux died on October 8, 1975.
SIR SHEIKH ABDUL QADIR (1874-1 950)
Sir Sheikh Abdul Qadir was the son of Sheikh Fatehuddin of Kasur. He was born at Kasur (Punjab) in 1874. He got his education from Forman Christian College, Lahore and did his B.A. from there in 1894. He went to England \'for higher studies and stayed there from 1904 to 1907.
He did his Bar-at-Law from Lincoln\'s Inn in 1904.
Sir Sheikh Abdul Qadir started his career as a journalist and became the Editor of \'The Observer\' (English weekly) from 1888 to 1904 and \'Makhzan\' monthly (Urdu) from 1901 to 1911, both from Lahore. Sheikh Abdul Qadir soon emerged as an eminent man of letters. He retained his devotion to Urdu during many years of his varied public activities as lawyer, politician, judge and administrator. He has a number of books to his credit. He practiced in Delhi for 2 years and was later appointed Public Prosecutor at Lyallpur (now Faisalabad), Punjab in 1919-20.
Sheikh Abdul Qadir was elected Member Punjab Legislative Council in 1923.He remained Deputy President, Punjab Legislative Council in 1924. He became the first elected President of the Council in January, 1925 by defeating Gokul Chand Narang by a wide margin of votes. He was later nominated non-official Member, Punjab Legislative Council.
Sir Sheikh Abdul Qadir resigned from the President-ship of the Council to a as Minister of Education, Punjab. He was Member of the Committee of Enquiry to examine the Jail Administration in Punjab. He was deputed as a full Delegate to represent India at the Seventh Assembly of League of Nations in Geneva in 1926. He acted as Revenue Member of the Punjab Executive Council in 1927 and Member Public Service Commission in 1929. He became Additional Judge, Lahore High Court on 20 February, 1934 and Member, Council of the Secretary of State for India in July, 1934.
Sir Sheikh Abdul Qadir was appointed Adviser to the Secretary of State for India from 1937 to 1939. He also briefly officiated as Law Member, Government of India in the later period of 1939.
He was elected Member of the International Committee for Intellectual Cooperation, Geneva in 1939 and remained Chief Justice, Bahawalpur State from 1940 to 1943.
He started his political career by initially joining the Unionist Party but S00I left it to join the Muslim League. He attended all its Annual Sessions right from its early days and actively participated in its deliberations. He was Member of the various Committees set up by the All India Muslim League He was elected President of the All India Muslim League in its Delhi Session held from 29 to 31 December, 1926.
Sir Sheikh Abdul Qadir was a great advocate of education for the Muslims of India and ardently pleaded for the introduction of Constitutional Reforms to better the lots of the Muslims of India. He ardently supported separate electorate for Muslims to enable them to become a forceful and viable entity in India. He pleaded fervently for a fair share for Muslims in services.
He was Chairman, Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam Lahore for many years-the Anjuman being, after the Muslim Educational Conference, the most important All India Muslim Organisation. He was also Member Kamal Yar Jang Educational Committee in 1940 which addressed itself to the Muslin-education in India. He died in February, 1950.
DR. SIR ZIAUDDIN AHMED (1878-1947)
Dr. Sir Ziauddin Ahmed was a great mathematician, an accomplished educationist, a capable administrator and a great politician. He was the son of Hafiz Muinuddin, an employee in the District Collectorate and related to Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk. He was born in Meerut in 1878. He was a brilliant ~ student at MAO College, Aligarh from where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1895. Deeply impressed by his acumen and intellect he was recommended by Principal Theodors Morison for nomination as Deputy Collector, but he gracefully declined the offer and instead got a job as a teacher of Mathematics in his college in July, 1895.
Dr. Sir Ziauddin Ahmed simultaneously continued his studies. He did M.A. in Mathematics from Calcutta University, and D.Sc. from Allahabad University in 1901 and thereafter proceeded to Trinity College, Cambridge (1901-1903) and studied in Cambridge for specialisation in the study of Arab contribution to astronomy. He was also made member of the Mathematical Society of London and Fellow of Royal Astronomical Society in 1904. He got his Ph.D. from Goettingen University in Germany in 1905. He studied modern geometry in Bologne University, Italy. He also studied in Sorbornne (Paris) and Al-Azhar, Cairo.
Dr. Ziauddin returned to his teaching post in Aligarh in December, 1906. He devoted himself passionately to the affairs of the college and became a Professor of Mathematics. Later he became the Principal of MAO College. He was the Secretary, \'Muslim University Foundation Committee\' to draft the constitution of the University in 1916. When the MAO College was turned into Aligarh Muslim University in 1920, he became its first Pro Vice Chancellor. He was member of deputation to submit grievances of Muslim regarding their backwardness in education to the U.P. Government on 14th August, 1924. He was President, \'Provincial Muslim Educational Conference\', Pilibhit in 1926. He was also the President of \'All India Educational Conference\', Lahore in 1933. He also attended the Lucknow Conference on Muslim Education, February 1934. In 1935 he became the Vice Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University for two terms. In 1946, he became the Rector of Aligarh Muslim University.
Dr. Sir Ziauddin was one of the founding members of All India Muslim \'League and remained its member till the end. He attended the Annual Sessions of the All India Muslim League and actively participated in its ~ deliberations. He was Member of the U.P. Legislative Council from 1924 to 1926. He was Member of the Central Legislative Assembly from 1931 to 1935. As Member of the Legislative Assembly of India, when Quaid-e-Azam formed the Muslim League Parliamentary Party, Dr. Ziauddin was chosen to be its Secretary. So, in the field of education on the one hand and the Muslim political emancipation on the other, he, as a true lieutenant of Quaid-e-Azam, played in the renaissance of the Muslims of India. He was re-elected in 1935 and again, on Muslim League ticket in 1946.
Sir Ziauddin died in December, 1947 in London where he had gone with the scheme of setting up a Medical College in the Aligarh Muslim University.
JAM MIR GHULAM QADIR KHAN (1920-1988)
Jam Mir Ghulam Qadir Khan was born in 1920 at Bela, District Lasbella (Balochistan). He was the son of Jam Ghulam Muhammad Khan, ruler o Lasbella State. Due to extreme illness of his mother, he was brought up by a noble lady of Ronja tribe, Hajiani Aami. This upbringing in the family of common people and away from princely luxuries left a deep mark on his character which remained manifest for the love of the common man al along his life. His father was extremely conscious of imparting proper education to his princely son. He was initially sent to Sindh Madresah-tul-Islam, Karachi and thereafter he was sent to Aitchison College, Lahore where he did his Senior Cambridge.
His considerably long stay in Lahore with varied experience widened his knowledge and exposed him to the political currents of his time which helped him a lot in his later years.
Deeply inspired and moved by the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and his ceaseless struggle for freedom of the Muslim Ummah from the twin clutches of the Hindus and the British Raj in India, Jam Ghulam Qadir was one of the first princely rulers to announce accession of his State Lasbella to Pakistan in 1947.
In 1948, he was elected. Member of the Pakistan Constituent Assembly and remained so till the dissolution of the Assembly. He was again elected Member of the West Pakistan Legislative Assembly in 1954. He was subsequently appointed Cabinet Minister for Auqaf and Prisons in the then West Pakistan Government. Again in 1962 he was elected member of the National Assembly on the Pakistan Muslim League ticket. He was once again appointed Minister in the West Pakistan Cabinet.
He also acted President of Pakistan Muslim League, Karachi and Lasbella. He was elected Member of Provincial Assembly, Balochistan in 1970. In April, 1973 he assumed the office of the Chief Minister of Balochistan. On the imposition of Governors Rule in Balochistan in 1976, he was appointed as the Chief Adviser to the Government of Balochistan with the status of the Chief Minister. He also held the post of Speaker, Provincial Assembly, Balochistan in 1976-77. From July, 1977 till 1985 he remained Member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament). After 1985 elections he again became the Chief Minister of Balochistan and remained so till 1988.
In the summer of 1988, Jam Ghulam Qadir proceeded to America. On his return he fell ill and died in London on the 10th December, 1988 due to heart attack.
SARDAR AURANGZEB KHAN (1899-1953)
Sardar Aurangzeb Khan was born in 1899 at Kulachi, District Dera Ismail Khan, in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). He was the son of Mohammad Ayyaz Khan and belonged to a renowned Pathan tribe “Ghandapur”. After completing his early education at Kulachi he passed his secondary school examination from Mission High School, Dera Ismail Khan.
Deeply impressed by the services of Sir Sahibzada Abdul Qaiyum Khan toward the cause of education of the Muslims of the lndo-Pakistan sub-continent, he settled in Peshawar and under the active patronage and guidance of Sir Sahibzada he passed his B.A. examination from Mission College, Peshawar with distinction and got admission in Aligarh Muslim University and earned Bachelor of Law degree. He was President of the Muslim Students Union and was awarded the title of Best Student of the College. On completion of his studies at the Aligarh Muslim University he returned to Peshawar to practice law in the courts.
He participated in Round Table Conference as Personal Secretary to Sahibzada Abdul Qaiyum. In 1937, he joined the Muslim League and was elected as Member Legislative Assembly in the same year. He was Opposition Leader in the NWFP Congress Government. In 1943, Muslim League Government was formed in the NWFP Province and Sardar Aurangzeb became its Chief Minister, being Leader of the House. The Muslim League Government continued till the year 1945. He became Vice President of the Muslim League in NWFP after the creation of Pakistan in 1947. He was one of the founding members of the Muslim League in NWFP. He was appointed as Ambassador of Pakistan to Burma where he served till his death in 1953.
To commemorate the Pioneers of Freedom (Series) Pakistan Postal Services Corporation is issuing a set of eight commemorative postage stamps of Re. 1/- each denomination on August 14, 1994.