The Reminiscences of Zafrulla Khan — Page xii
REMINISCENCES OF SIR MUHAMMAD ZAFRULLA KHAN xii a conversation he had with Sir Samuel Hoare as follows: “Sir Samuel, in the perfect English way, was “pleased” to meet me. When his lead in the poll during counting was reported, he relaxed and took some personal interest in me, asking personal questions. He was keen to know whether allottment to the province had been done and where I was to be posted. When he heard I was going to the Punjab, he smiled his big. . . smile and said, “You are lucky. ” “Why it is so lucky?” I asked. His remark astonished me and does even today: “Because Sir Zafrulla comes from that province and you are lucky to go to that province,” and then added: “You know, Sir Zafrulla was here for the Round Table Conference and we still write to each other. ” My reaction was not very polite. “There were so many others better known and more experienced like Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, Mr. Jinnah, Sir Srivnivas Shastri. ” He cut me out: “Oh, as for that, there was the Aga Khan too; but no one made such tremendous impression as Sir Zafrulla did. ” I could not afford to further contradict the Secretary of State for India and changed the topic. ” 1 By the time of the Second Round Table Conference, he had become so eminent that he was appointed to the Viceroy’s Executive Council to officiate for Sir Fazle Hussain during the latter’s absence on leave for four months. Later, he was appointed, at a relatively very young age, as a member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council for a full term of five years. He was re-appointed for anther term of five years after the expiry of the first term. Shortly after the beginning of the second term, he chose to quit the political arena and, apparently, to shut himself in the backwaters of the Federal Court of India. The Viceroy reluctantly allowed him to join the Court. Immediately afterwards, the Viceroy asked him to go to China as India’s first Agent General for a short period of six months, which he did. He preferred the Federal Court because he had perceived divine indications that he should do so. The Viceroy, Lord Wellingdon, offered him the chair of the Chief Justice of the Punjab High Court and he refused because he did not want to see the Governor of the Punjab in that matter. The Governor was hostile towards the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He also declined the offer to be a Privy Councillor. Mr. Nehru, as the interim Prime Minister of India, nominated him on the International Court of Justice (ICJ), he