The Reminiscences of Zafrulla Khan — Page xi
REMINISCENCES OF SIR MUHAMMAD ZAFRULLA KHAN xi INTRODUCTION The incident took place at the concluding session of the International Writer’s Conference at Stockholm in 1994. As soon as I left the stage, after having presented a paper on Pakistan’s literature, a Morrocan writer came running to me and introduced himself, “I am Zafrulla - Zafrulla Alejabi. I am so pleased to meet a Pakistani writer. You know my name is very unusual for that of a Morrocan, but my parents named me after some famous Pakistani diplomat who was our only supporter at the UN in the late forties and early fifties. We owe our independence to his efforts. Many boys were named after him. I am one of those proud boys and I have for the first time met a Pakistani. I wanted to express my gratitude, so I came running to you. Can you please tell me something about that famous Zafrulla, because we don’t know much about our benefactor, our hero, after whom I was named. ” He was too sentimental. We sat together after the session was over and talked about his hero and my fellow Ahmadi compatriot. He was pleased to know that I knew Zafrulla and had had the chance to meet him personally and that I had shaken his hand many times. He grabbed my hand and held it in esteem as long as we were there. Now that I have the task of writing an introduction to the Reminiscences of a famous man - the man, mere mention of whose name generates awe and respect. Mothers name their children after him to express their gratitude, and here I am, an unknown, unfamiliar person, venturing to introduce Sir Zafrulla. Obviously, this is an “adventure in self expression. ” Sir Zafrulla began his political career in 1917, when he was appointed head of the Ahmadiyya delegation to present the point of view of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community before the Montague-Chelmsford Commission. He was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly in 1926. He joined the Unionist Party of the Punjab and worked his way up under the able guidance of Sir Fazle Hussain. He was a member of the Round Table Conferences on India’s future Constitution which were held in the years 1930-32. He proved his mark and won respest of all and sundry. Mr. Musarrat Hussain Zuberi, ICS, in his autobiography, “Voyage Through History” has recorded