Chaudhry Sir Muhammad Zafarullah Khan was born on 6th February 1893 at Sialkot in Zamindars of Sahi Jat. His father, Chaudhry Nasrullah Khan was a Landed Gentry of Sialkot who received a Western education and became one of the most prominent lawyers of the Sialkot district. Both of his parents were deeply religious members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim movement.
ZAFARULLAH KHAN
Born on 6 Feb 1893
Died on 1 Sep 1985
Pakistani Jurist and Diplomat
He acquired his early education at the American Missionary School, in Sialkot. He did his Graduation from Government College, Lahore and went to England in 1911. There he studied at the King’s College and did his Bar-at-Law from Lincoln’s Inn. He came back in 1914 and migrated to Lahore where he started his practice as a lawyer. He also served as a lecturer at the Law College Lahore during 1919-1924. Later he became a member of the Punjab Legislative Council in 1926.
In 1931, he presided over a meeting of the All-India Muslim League held in Delhi, where he advocated the cause of the Indian Muslims through his presidential address. He also participated in the Round Table Conferences of 1930-32 and became the Minister of Railways in 1935.
From 1935 to 1941, he was a member of the Executive Council of the Viceroy of India. He prepared a note on the future of the dominion status of India analyzing the future prospects of “Dominion Status”. It took into account the concerns of Muslims and ultimately proposed a plan for the division of the subcontinent. This note was sent to Lord Zetland, Secretary of State for India, as referred to in a letter by Lord Linlithgow dated 12 March 1940. Lord Linlithgow, however, did not have a complete grasp of the contents of the analytic note prepared by him at the time it was sent to the Secretary of India. A copy of this note was also sent to Jinnah. His proposal of a two-state solution for the Indian Federation was adopted by the Muslim League with a view to give it full publicity in the forthcoming session at Lahore from 22–24 March 1940.
In 1939 he was appointed to represent India in the League of Nations and also served as the judge of the Federal Court of India from 1941-1947. He also represented India as the Indian Government’s nominee in the Commonwealth Relations Conference, where he courageously spoke for the freedom of the Sub-continent in 1945. On the request of Quaid-i-Azam, he represented the Muslim League in July 1947 before the Radcliff Boundary Commission and pleaded the case of the Muslims in a highly commendable manner. He also advised the Nawab of Junagadh that if he decided to join his state with Pakistan, it would be both moral and legal. The Nawab then proceeded to announce his decision.
In October 1947, he represented Pakistan at the United Nations General Assembly as Head of the Pakistani delegation and advocated the position of the Muslim world on the Palestinian issue. That year, he was appointed Pakistan’s first Foreign Minister, a post he held for seven years. Between 1948 and 1954, he also represented Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council where he advocated the liberation of occupied Kashmir, Libya, Northern Ireland, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, and Indonesia.
As Foreign Minister, he represented Pakistan at the Manila Treaty Conference in September 1954. Support for the Manila Pact in Pakistan was divided, with a West Pakistan-dominated army and a handful of leaders in favour of this, while most elected members of the Constituent Assembly from West Pakistan and all of the Assembly members from East Pakistan opposed it. Zafarullah signed the Manila Pact, committing Pakistan’s accession to the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO).
In 1954, he became a Judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, a position he held until 1961. He was the Vice-President of the International Court of Justice from 1958 to 1961. Between 1961 and 1964, he was Pakistan’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations. From 1962 to 1964, he was also the President of the UN General Assembly. He later rejoined the ICJ as a judge from 1964 to 1973, serving as president from 1970 to 1973.
As an Ahmadi, he held the office of Ameer (President) of the Lahore, Pakistan chapter of the Community from 1919 to 1935. He served as Secretary to Khalifa-tul-Masih II, the second successor of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, at the Majlis-e-Shura (Consultative Council) for the first time in 1924, and continued to do so for 17 more sessions. In addition, he was a member of the delegation which represented the Ahmadiyya Community at the All Parties Conference held in 1924. In 1927, he acted successfully as representative counsel for the Muslims of the Punjab in the contempt of court case against the Muslim Outlook.
As Pakistan’s first Foreign Minister, Zafarullah Khan addressed the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in the days leading up to the passing of the Objectives Resolution. The Objectives Resolution, which combined features of both Western and Islamic democracy, is one of the most important documents in the constitutional history of Pakistan. It was designed to provide equal rights for all citizens of Pakistan, regardless of their race, religion or background. Zafarullah Khan was quoted as saying:
It is a matter of great sorrow that, mainly through mistaken notions of zeal, the Muslims have during the period of decline earned for themselves an unenviable reputation for intolerance. But that is not the fault of Islam. Islam has from the beginning proclaimed and inculcated the widest tolerance. For instance, so far as freedom of conscience is concerned the Quran says “There shall be no compulsion” of faith.
In March 1958, Zafarullah Khan performed Umrah and, at the same time, visited the shrine of Prophet Muhammad in Medina, Saudi Arabia. During his visit, he met with the King of Saudi Arabia Saud of Saudi Arabia, and stayed at the Royal Palace as a personal guest of the king. In 1967, he returned to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in a lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so.
His legacy has been hailed and his paramount role in the creation of Pakistan has been celebrated in the history of Pakistan. He is popularly known by his title Sir. Zafarullah Khan openly acknowledged that he belonged to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He was selected by Muhammad Ali Jinnah as the first Foreign Minister of Pakistan. He was one of the most influential, skilled, and passionate diplomats of his time.
He was knighted in 1935. He is also the author of Islam-Its Meaning for Modern Man (1962) and also wrote a translation of the Holy Quran (1970).
After retiring as President of the International Court of Justice in 1973, he went to England and stayed there for ten years. He came back to Pakistan in 1983 and remained in Lahore, where he died on 1st September 1985 after a protracted illness. Later his burial took place at Ahmadi Graveyard in Rabwa, District Jhang.
