GHULAM AHMAD PERWEZ
Born in Batala in the Indian Punjab, Ghulam Ahmad Pervez belonged to a family of Chishti-Nizami sufis. His grandfather, Hakim Maulvi Raheem Baksh, tought him Arabic and trained him in Islamic studies. He met Allama Iqbal in Lahore and on his suggestion got in touch with Hafiz Muhammad Jairajpuri, the scholar moulded his views of Islam. In 1955, he retired from the post of assistant secretary in the central secretariat in Karachi to devote himself to the study of Islam. It was in New Delhi that he began publishing his journal Tolu-e-Islam in 1938 at the behest of Allama Iqbal and the Quaid-e-Azam. Through his writings in the journal, he defended the Pakistan movement and took issue with Gandhi and other Congress leaders.After the creation of Pakistan, Pervaz dedicated Tolu-e-Islam to debates on the nature of Quran. The most valuable contribution to Islamic learning were his classification of Quranic themes and etymology of Quranic words in his book Lughat-ul-Quran and his work on the tradition of Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) Maqam-i-Hadith. He argued that hadith can neither abrogate nor supercede the Quran and that hadith which jibes with the quran and does not insult the Prophet should be accepted. His weekly lectures in Lahore attracted a lot of educated followers as he challenged the authority of his contemporary, Maulana Maudoodi. Pervaz's work on the Quran remains unprecedented as a rationaal gloss in Islamic scholarship.
GHULAM FAROOQ
Palkistan an the time of independence had no industrial base. It was left to the state to provide the lead in getting the country industrialist. A person who had distinguished himself in negotiating with the Indians over the divition of assets seemed to have the drive and willingness to be entrusted with a difficult assignment. Ghulam Farooq was the man behind his gigantic effort of providing the lead in this vital sector. He headed the corporation that invested in industries and then handed these over to the private sector for their successful running. Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation was a successful venture that made the industrialsation of the new country possible. He was also instrumental in setting up the military and defence related industries. The intention was to make the country less dependent on foreign countries for its defence needes. The big units producing military and defence related manufacturing owe their origins to Ghulam Farooq. When it was realised that Pakistan was deficient
in electricity and power and that it was not possible develop without it, the task was again entrusted to Ghulam Farooq, who set up Wapda which also oversaw the very difficult process of implementing the Indus Water Treaty.
GHULAM MOHAMMAD
Malik Ghulam Muhammad was the first leader to be installed in Pakistan's hall of shame. He was chosen by the Quaid as the fledgling state's first finance minister, one of the few Muslim who had some experience of audit and accounts, as well as dash and drive. That his skills in financial management had been recognised by the topmost non-Muslim industrialist was an additional qualification. What was not noted was his outsized personal ambition and exposure to intrigues common in princely durbars. A rapid advance in career had sharpened his arrogance and the applause he received from the ignorant for balancing the first state budget and for scoring a point over India by not devaluing the currency when the latter did so, eroded whatever capacity he had for being a responsible team player.He might have secretly envied fellow professionals (Mumtaz Husain, Zahid Husain, Nohammad Ali, et al) but he had little respect for fellow ministers, or even the head of the Cobinet. Few noticed that, like his colleagues in p
power, he did not understand the political and social needs of the new state's population, nor the effects of the peculiar demographic and economic disparities between its two separate parts. No one perhaps found the colonial model of state wanting in any respect. He had little to do with Islam or socialism but did not hesutate to offer their mixture as a popular ideal. Ghulam Muhammad will be remembered for founding the tradition of authoritarianism in Pakistan. As the leading actor in three major sequences -- the dismissal of prime Minister Nazimuddin, the dissolution of the Constituent assembly, and the imposition of the non-unit sceme -- he was primarily responsible for launching East Bangal on the path of alienation from Pakistan, for btinging the armed forces into politics, for confirming the country's subservience to Cold War operation, for creating bad blood between Punjab and the other federating units, and for devaluing democratic norms. Taken together his actions created crises that got aggravated year after year and which have dogged the state to this day with enormous costs to the people.
GHULAM MUSTAFA TABASSUM
Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum was a teacher par exellence. As professor of Persian he represented sound academic tradition, which was considered the fountainhead of higher learning. Sufi Tabassum's poetic talent encompassed three languages; Urdu, Persian and Punjabi. He was a master of prosoby and even poets like Faiz were constrained to consult him in the craft of poetry. His poetry grows out of the extreme romance of the classical tradition and the pain and suffering that the modern man has to go through. His vast repertoire of translations into Punjabi of Urdu and Persian poetry is also work of great merit. For about fifty years he was one of the most prominent speaker at the various astistic and intellectual formus, like radio, television and the literary circles. He brought to these forums a very rich and comprehensive worldview, which was the outcome of his vast reading, very rich life and a vibrant personality. A man full of life till the very end he will also be lovingly remembered for the poems that he
wrote for children. He created the immortal character of 'Tot Batot' which has been the most constant companion of the children.
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