Sardar Amir Azam (1912 to 1996)

The Politician and Businessman 

Sardar Amir Azam was a politician and businessman from Punjab who was elected as MCA (Member of Constitutional Assembly) from the city of Gujrat, Pakistan in 1951 in the first Pakistani Government headed by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan. He was later nominated the federal minister, time and again in almost all succeeding Governments in Pakistan until 1958.  Finally he gave up politics and ended up his career as a businessman.

Sardar Amir Azam was born in the City of Gujrat, in Pakistan during the British Rule in 1912.  His ancestors were Ghilzai people belonging to the tribal state of Bajour, presently located in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan (FATA). His great grand father, Sardar Amir Muhammad served as Tehsildar of Attock (Campbellpur) during the British Rule. His grandfather, Sardar Muhammad Afzal, was also a Tehsildar (in Haripur) and later nominated Governor of Kashmir before the creation of Pakistan. The family gradually moved to North-Western Provinces known as Uttar Pradesh in India long before the partition since one of his ancestors who was put under trial for murder in the tribal area left the region to avoid the wrath of tribal law. He came to Uttar Pradesh and finally got a job and started working as a guard under the British rule. The other family members including his grand father, Sardar Muhammad Afzal also gradually settled down in Uttar Pradesh. Consequently his father Sardar Muhammad Akram was born in Uttar Pradesh and lived over there with his father Sardar Muhammad Afzal Khan. Sardar Muhammad Akram was educated in M.A.O College also know as Aligarh Muslim University. And later served as a Superintendent of Police in Uttar Pradesh. He was married in Gujarat (Pakistani). Sardar Amir Azam was born in October 1912 in the city of Gujrat in Pakistan during the British Rule. His maternal grandfather Khan Bahadur Muhammad Zaman was a native of Gujrat and an engineer by profession. His father Sardar Akram khan resigned from Police during the Khilafat Movement and joined the politician Liaquat Ali Khan.

Sardar Amir Azam received his early education from Campbellpur High School in Attock District (previously known as Campbellpur). And later attended the Government Intermediate College. In 1930, he moved to Muzaffarnagar where his father Sardar Muhammad Akram, after his resignation from Police, was working for Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan and looked after his properties in Uttar Pradesh.

Sardar Amir Azam attended the Meerut College and graduated with a Law Degree. He studied further to complete his  Master's 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. And became known as a good speaker in college debates. His 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 togather with Khan Liaqat Ali Khan. Thus he was also believer of Silsilah-e-Qardi, Chihsti, Suharwardi and Naqshbandi.

In 1936, Sardar Amir Azam joined the Muslim League as the Secretary for Muzaffarnagar, and soon he was elected as a member of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh ,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.

Soon after Pakistan's independence in 1947, Azam moved to Punjab and resided in Rawalpindi, spending most of his time there with his family that shortly joined him after the Partition of India. 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 from 1952 till 1954 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 in1954. During this period he also worked as the secretary of Election Committee of the Sindh Muslim League. He continued his support for the Muslim League as an organizer in consecutive elections held in Sindh and East Bengal during 1954.

From, 24.10.1954 to 11.08.1955, Sardar Amir Azam 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 Pakistan. From 11^th August 1955 to 12^th 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) in CENTRAL GOVERNMENT (4) from August 11, 1955 to September, 12, 1956.

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 in CENTRAL GOVERNMENT (5). 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 simultaneously 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, he 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. Therefore he 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.