Zafar Ali Khan

Zafar Ali Khan was a Pakistani writer, poet, translator and journalist who utilized his media presence to oppose British rule. He served as a founding member of the Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam. Because he possessed deep knowledge regarding economics, sociology and politics, he is considered one of the fathers of Urdu journalism.

Early life and education

Zafar Ali Khan was born in 1873 into a Punjabi family belonging to the Rajput Janjua clan. According to a 1920 report, his birthplace was the Sialkot District. He attended Mission High School in Wazirabad to receive his early education. After matriculating in Patiala, he passed his intermediate exams at Aligarh College in 1895.

He initially worked for the postal department in the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. This was the same location where his father had been employed. He eventually resigned from this position following a dispute with his seniors. Khan then rejoined Aligarh College to complete his studies, where he earned a BA degree and ranked fifth in his batch.

Career

Following his graduation, Khan served as the secretary to Mohsin-ul-Mulk, a Muslim political leader based in Bombay. He later moved to Hyderabad, Deccan, to work as a translator. During his time there, he rose to the position of Secretary of the Home Department.

In 1908, he returned from Hyderabad and took control of the daily Zamindar newspaper in Lahore. His father, Maulvi Sirajuddin Ahmad, had founded the publication in 1903. At certain points in its history, this periodical functioned as an essential newspaper for the Punjab region.

Khan was a prominent figure in the Khilafat Movement and maintained a close association with Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar. Scholar S. M. Ikram noted that Khan's influence during this movement was second only to the Ali Brothers and Abul Kalam Azad. He also worked as an activist for the Pakistan Movement. His journalism became a tool against British authority, and he used the Zamindar to become a highly influential Urdu daily in Northern India.

His literary output included various forms of writing such as poetry, essays and plays. He wrote several poetic works including Baharistan, Nigaristan and Chamanistan. His collection of Persian poems and articles is titled Nashid-i Shiraz. For historical drama, he produced the opera Jang-e-Roos-o-Japan regarding the Russian-Japanese War.

As a translator, he rendered Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book into Urdu as Jangal Buk. He also translated Shibli Nomani's biography of Umar, Al-Farooq, from Urdu into English. His essays covered diverse topics ranging from the social sciences in M'aasirat to historical commentary in Ghalbah-yi Rum.

Khan maintained a belligerent relationship with the Ahmadiyya movement. He wrote satirical poems against Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian and authored the preface to the book "His Holiness" to refute the movement. After the creation of Pakistan, he participated in the 1953 Tehreek e Khatm e Nabuwat by writing articles against Ahmadis.

Personal life

Zafar Ali Khan died on 27 November 1956. He was buried in Wazirabad, Punjab, following a funeral prayer led by his friend Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi.

Awards and recognition

The Punjab government established the Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Trust to recognize his contributions to the Pakistan Movement. This trust initiated the Zafar Ali Khan Award, which is presented annually to outstanding journalists. Additionally, the Government Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Degree College in Wazirabad is named in his honor.

The Sahiwal Stadium in Punjab was renamed Zafar Ali Stadium to commemorate him. This multi-purpose venue holds 10,000 people and hosts cricket and football games. Pakistan Post also issued a commemorative postage stamp for him within the 'Pioneers of Freedom' series.