An Ahmadi — Champion of Pakistan and Arab Cause ( Ch Muhammad Zafrulla Khan )

An Ahmadi — Champion of Pakistan and Arab Cause Ch Muhammad Zafrulla Khan - a devout Ahmadi who did his bai'at at the hand of the Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of Ahmadiyya Movement on September 16, 1907 - was the first Foreign Minister of Pakistan. He was called from Bhopal where he was Advisor to Nawab of Bhopal by the founder of Pakistan, Mr Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Mr Jinnah was personally fully aware of the legal mind of Ch Zafrulla and on one occasion described him as his son. Ch Zafrulla Khan later became a great fighter of the Arab cause. This love for the Arabs was generated in him by his love for theHoly Prophet. Ch Zafrulla Khan delivered a bombshell onOctober 7, 1947, when he spoke on the issue of the partition of Palestine. It was a stunning speech, the Arabs were overjoyed over it. In the next day's issue of the top Indian daily, theStatesman, wrote editorially: “For the first time the voice of Pakistan was heard in the United Nations. It was a telling speech which tore into shreds the pleas put forward by advocates of the partition. Ch Zafrulla Khan did not merely indulge in rhetoric, when he described the plan “a physical and geographical monstrosity”, but he proceeded to prove this by his unassailable arguments. Answering a question that great many displaced jews be allowed to go Palestine. He posed the counter question, would USA agree to take in five million displaced persons of Panjab if they wish to enter USA and settle there.” The Statesman concluded: “We have little doubt that the Arabs will rejoice to find, the voice of Pakistan, so powerfully raised in the United Nations.” The same paper in its issue of October 11, 1947 quoted an Arab spokesman saying “It was the most brilliant and exhaustive survey of the Arab case regarding Palestine that I ever heard.” The second bombshell landed in May 1948, when Ch Zafrulla Khan told the British Foreign Minister Ernst Bevan, that Pakistan would never recognize the state of Israel. This caused stir in the international media specially in New York, where everybody was trying to find out who Zafrulla Khan is. From 1948 to 1954, he waged a relentless war in the Security council for the Arab cause. He fought like a tiger for the independence of Libya, Somalia, Eritrea, Tunis, Morocco andIndonesia. The records of the Security Council are eloquent testimony of his fine speeches of this great son of Pakistan who gave a new life to the Arab countries. The Arab Ambassadors often came to know of the history of their land from his speeches delivered off the cuff. He met Gamal Nasser of Egypt and later somebody told him that Ch Zafrulla Khan is a non Muslim, he immediately said if he is one, I would like to be a non Muslim like him. The Sajjada Nashin of Dargah Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Gilani (Baghdad), Al Sayed Asim in a letter to Ch. Zafrulla Khan said: “I avail this opportunity to thank you from the core of my heart and on behalf the family of Hazrat Gous ul Azam for the great Jihad you waged in purely Islamic spirit in support of the Holy Land.” The Secretary General of the Arab League Abdur Rahman Azzam Pasha in his letter of Nov 15,1951 said: “Reading your speech in (UN) Assembly, I prayed to God to save you and preserve your health in the service of Islam.” In a statement published in the Al Jareeda, June 22,1952, Mr Pasha said: “We know for certain that Zafrulla Khan is a Muslim by profession and practice. He has been successful in defending the cause of Islam all over the world. It was for this reason that he came to be respected by all and the hearts of Muslims were filled with sentiments of gratitude.” A prominent Egyptian leader Al Sayed Mustafa Momin in an interview with Pakistan news agency said (and this was published in the dailies of Pakistan on May 24/25,1952): “Ch Zafrulla Khan holds an enviable position in the world of Islam. He is looked upon as the topmost statesman in the Middle East, specially in Egypt and other Arab countries. By his powerful support of Tunisia, Morocco, Iran and Egypt in the United Nations he has served the cause of Islam in a way no other Muslim leader has been able to do.” It was this fight like a tiger that endeared Pakistan among the Arab countries. Ahmadi Brought Honours to Pakistan Soon after August 14, 1947 Pakistan appeared on the International map because of the powerful and forceful representation of Ch.Zafrulla Khan. 1948: Represented Pakistan on Kashmir dispute in the Security Council. 1948-54: Powerful fight for the independence of Libya, Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, Tunis, Morocco, and Indonesia. 1958-1961: Vice President of the International Court of the Justice at the Hague. 1962: President of the UN General Assembly. 1970-73: President of the International Court of the Justice at the Hague. No Pakistani or for that matter no other diplomat of his stature could draw a semblance of comparison with this Ahmadi Giant.