Ch. Khaliquzzaman was born in 1889 in Bengal. After receiving his early education in Bengal, he took admission at Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College in Aligarh in 1907 and completed his higher education at Aligarh in 1917. He always Acknowledged the positive impact of the Aligarh Movement on the social and political environment of the Muslim community. In his book “Pathway to Pakistan”, he repeatedly refereed to Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the “Father of the Modern Muslim India”.
His made his first great contribution in 1912, when Balkan War was being fought and Turkey was a belligerent state. a medical team that was organized from India by the Red Crescent comprised Ch. Khaliquzzaman. He remained its member for two years and rendered valuable services in the Balkan War for Turks. In 1916, he joined the Home Rule League that was founded by Mrs. Annie Besant with the collaboration of Gokhle. Its main objective was Self-rule for the inhabitants of India. He remained its member for two years. He gained a prominent position amongst the Muslim leaders of United Provinces.
He played a pivotal role on behalf of Indian National Congress in hammering out the Lucknow Pact of 1916. This pact was the first formal step towards the Hindu-Muslim unity at the political level. He was also the chairman of the Lucknow Municipal Board.
When Khilafat Movement began in 1919, he was practicing as a lawyer at Lucknow, as demanded by Khilafat Movement, he boycotted the civil courts and became a pro-active member of Lucknow Khilafat Committee. After joining All India Muslim League, he became its joint secretary and also presided Muslim League United Provinces for some years. Soon he acquired prominence amongst the Muslim League leaders. Before 1937, When elections were held in India, he was the member of the Muslim League Working Committee.
Ch. Khaliquzzaman had close relation with Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He organized a fund for the people of Anatolia on the behest of the Quaid. In 1940, when Lahore Resolution was passed, Ch. Khaliquzzaman was one of those who seconded the Lahore Resolution on 23rd March 1940. He said in his speech, “Muslims of the minority provinces of India should not have concerns regarding the partition of India into Hindu India and Muslim India. What they would get at the hands of Hindus, same treatment would be meted out to the Hindus of the Muslim majority areas.”
On 12th April, Quaid-i-Azam formed a committee for publishing weakly reports regarding Muslim objectives, their goal and resolution of Allahabad meeting. Ch. Khaliquzzaman was an active member of this committee. After the independence of Pakistan, he stayed in India for some time and then came to Pakistan. After the sad demise of the Quaid in 1948, he was made the Chief Convener of the Muslim League. He continued this job till 1950. He also worked as ambassador of Pakistan to Indonesia. In 1963, when Muslim League was split into two factions, Council Muslim League and Convention Muslim League, he was made the Chief Convener of the Convention Muslim League.
Ch Khaliquzzaman is also author of a book Pathway to Pakistan, which is the collection of his reminiscences of ceaseless struggle for Pakistan Movement. He died in 1973.
This article was last updated on Friday, Jan 04, 2008
