Amir Azam Khan

Sardar Amir Azam (October 1912 - 1976) was a Pakistani politician and entrepreneur. Azam was a cabinet minister during the 1950s and was the pioneer of low cost housing in Pakistan. He initially emerged in 1951 as an M.C.A. (Member of Constitutional Assembly of Pakistan) in the very first Pakistani Government headed by Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan, and later re-emerged as a minister in succeeding administrations.

Biography

Sardar Amir Azam

Sardar Amir Azam was a Pakistani politician and entrepreneur. Sardar Amir Azam was a famous cabinet minister during the 1950s and was a pioneer of low-cost housing in Pakistan; (born October 1912, died 1976)He was buried at Garhi Afghanan,near Taxila,his ancestral graveyard.

Early life and background

Sardar Amir Azam was born in Gujrat in Punjab Province during British rule in 1912 and was the eldest son of Sardar Muhammad Akram, a Superintendent of Police] who had been born in the North-Western Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh Province, India) and a former student of M.A.O. College, now known as Aligarh Muslim University. His ancestors were [yousafzai (akozai)] people belonging to the tribal Afghan border state of Bajour, presently located in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan (FATA). They spread from North-West Frontier Province to Uttar Pradesh and Punjab more than 100 years ago before the creation of Pakistan. His grandfather, Sardar Muhammad Afzal khan, was a Tehsildar of Haripur. His great grandfather, Sardar Amir Muhammad khan was Tehsildar of Attock for Campbellpur. His maternal grandfather Khan Bahadur Muhammad Zaman was an Engineer and Landlord from Gujrat in Punjab.

Education

Sardar Amir Azam received his early education from Campbellpur High School in Attock District (previously known as Campbellpur).He did his Matric from Kahota High School along with his cousin Sardar Mohammed Umar khan,their names are engraved at the entrance of their residence,just next to the main gate of the school. After secondary school, he attended Government Intermediate College in Punjab. He lived in Punjab until 1930. He then moved to Muzaffarnagar where his father Sardar Muhammad Akram worked for Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan as his manager. Mr. Khan entrusted his father to manage his properties and farms in Uttar Pradesh.

Azam attended the Meerut College and graduated with a Law Degree. He studied further to complete his Masters in Political Science from Allahabad University. He also remained a student of Sir Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal for a time.

During his studies, Sardar Amir Azam became associated with Liaquat Ali Khan and his political abilities were discovered. He took part in Political activities during his College years. He became known as a good speaker in college debates.

Amir Azam's family background had very solid religious history. Therefore, while in meerut-UP, he learned Tareeqat (the way of spiritual thoughts) and Quranic Education from Peer-e-Tareeqat Hazrat Soofi Najam-Uddin together with Khan Liaqat Ali Khan.Thus he was also believer of Silsilah-e-Qardi, Chihsti, Suharwardi and Naqshbandi.

Political career

In 1936, Sardar Amir Azam joined the Muslim League as the Secretary for Muzaffarnagar, and soon he was elected a member of the U.P. Muslim League Council. He remained the Secretary of District Muslim League for some time and thus gained experience in administrative organizing functions. He supported Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan and the Muslim League in the 1945-46 Central Legislature Elections from the Meerut Constituency of Uttar Pradesh. During the Pakistan Movement he had the opportunity to work with prominent leaders of the Muslim League.

In 1946, he was admitted to Kingsway Hospital at Kingsway Camp, North Delhi. But as the hospital was attacked by the extremist, he along with his servant, Noor Muhammad alias Nooru escaped under disguise from pograms and genocide in India and soon after the Partition of India, Azam and his family moved to Punjab, Pakistan and resided in Rawalpindi. He moved to prominence within the city due to his work in trying to solve issues related to services and rehabilitation of Refugees from India. He worked devotedly for their relief and rehabilitation in his district and soon attained became the president of the city Municipal Committee and also the President of Rawalpindi City Muslim League.

After Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah formed the very first Pakistani government headed by Liaquat Ali Khan, Sardar Amir Azam supported the Muslim League from Punjab in 1951 and was nominated MCA by Liaquat Ali Khan to serve in the first Central Government. He further held offices in the Planning Commission, and as Chairman of the Pakistan Standard, a newspaper that was a part of Muslim League.

After the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan in 1951, Sardar Amir Azam was made the first Defence Minister of Pakistan during the tenure of Khawaja Nazimuddin in the second Central Government in 1952. He also participated in the Ottawa Commonwealth Conference, and thus made an extensive tour of Canada, the United States and some European countries on essential government assignments. He was renominated the Minister of State for Defence from 7 December 1953 to 24 October 1954, serving in that position for the 3rd Central Government headed by the Prime Minister, Muhammad Ali Bogra. Simultaneously, he also served as the very first Chairperson of Pakistan International Airways now known as Pakistan International Airlines

During this period he also worked as the secretary of Election Committee of the Sindh Muslim League. Azam continued his support for the Muslim League as an organizer in consecutive elections held in Sindh and East Bengal during 1954. From, 24 October 1954 to 11th Au-gust 1955, Sardar Amir Azam was served as Central Minister for Rehabilitation in Muhammad Ali Bogra's cabinet in the 3rd Central Government.

In October 1955, The Republican Party (Pakistan) was formed by a break away faction of the Muslim League and other politicians supporting the creation of the West Pakistan province. Sardar Amir Azam was appointed the leader of the Republican Party (Pakistan) from Gujrat District, in Punjab. From 11th -Aug-1955 to 12th -Sept-1956, Sardar Amir Azam was nominated the Minister of State for Refugees & Rehabilitation and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affair simultaneously in the 4th Central Government headed by Prime Minister Muhammad Ali (Chaudhry). Due to his loyalty to democratic Principles and values, he is also known as one of the drafters of the 1956 Constitution of Pakistan. which was the main reason for his differences with the oppressors of his own era. From September 12, 1956 till September 5, 1957, Azam was Appointed Minister for Information & Broadcasting in the 5th Central Government in Pakistan. He also served as the Law Minister and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs simultaneously from December 13, 1956 to September 5, 1957 during the tenure of Prime Minister Hussein Shaheed Suhrawardy. From 29 March 1958 to 7 October 1958 Azam was nominated the Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs at the same time in the 7th Central Government headed by the Prime Minister Malik Feroz Khan Noon. He departed from politics before the proclamation of the 1958 Martial Law in Pakistan, when the country was heading Toward political instability. He declined offers to join the succeeding future Government.

Instead, Azam planned and assisted in the formation of the House Building Finance Corporation of Pakistan with the Finance Minister Muhammad Shoaib in 1962 to support the Low-Cost Housing Projects in the country. Since he had been the Rehabilitation & Refugee Minister of Pakistan therefore he was well aware of the refugee Problems in the country. His aim was to provide low priced housing for low-income groups.

He then formed the Al Azam Construction Company and was the first to introduce Low-Cost Housing in Pakistan in the private sector. Later the Al Azam project proved a milestone for others in Pakistan. He remained engaged in housing and construction work until he died on 19 February 1976, and left a glorious past for the young generation to follow and act upon it.

To honor his services to his country, the University of Karachi presents the "Sardar Amir Azam Khan Gold Medal" each year to the outstanding B.A. students (Hons) in Political Science.

Facts

1. The only man to hold maximum number of ministries in Pakistan.
2. First Defence Minister of Pakistan.
3. The man who named the "Pakistan International Airways" (now Airline).
4. He is also known as one of the drafters of the 1956 Constitution of Pakistan.
5. The Founder & first Chairman of Al Azam in Pakistan, that is the Pioneer of low cost housing projects in Karachi,