Legends-Ahmed E. H. Jaffer

(With special thanks to Memon.com)

The above name in fact represents a family tree and includes not only Ahmed, but his father Sir Ebrahim, his grandfather, Haroon, and his ureat grandfather, Jaffer. All of them were very well-known Kucchi Memons.

Jaffer started his business empire in 1861 in Pune, near Bombay, which was then one of the main cantonment of the British army. Jaffer was not only the leader of the Muslims, but he was a well-known philanthropist also.

Marriage ceremony of Mr. Nooruddin Hasan Faruqi and Miss. Maryam Jaffer at 4 Windsor Place, New Delhi, India on April 6, 1947.

Standing L to R: 1. Mohammad Ali Maniar, 2. Khwaja Hasan Nizami 3. Saeed Ahmad Siddiqui 4. Haroon E. H. Jaffer 5. Essa E. H. Jaffer 7. Mr. S. Ghani 8. Syed Azizul Hasan 9. Aziz Ahmad Siddiqui 10. Badruddin Hasan Faruqi 11. Mr. Mohammad Mustafa 12. Aziz Ahmad (Khalish) Siddiqui 13. Raza Habib Rizvi 14. Khalil Ahmad Siddiqui 15.Ahmad E. H. Jaffer 16. Rafiq Ahmad 17. Neena Ismail Jaffer 18.Ismail E. H. Jaffer 19.Mushtaq Ahmad 20.Habib Ahmad Rizvi

Sitting L to R: 1. Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar 2. I. I. Chundrigar 3. Begum Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan 4. Quaid-e- Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah 5. Nooruddin Hasan Faruqi 6. Liaquat Ali Khan 7. Fatima Jinnah 8. Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan 9. Hussain Imam 10. Wahab A. Jaffer (in Hussain Imam's lap)

Ground L to R: 1. Shafa'at Habib Rizvi 2. Nusrat Rizvi 3. Kader A. Jaffer 4. Javed Siddiqui 5. Razzak Essa Jaffer 6. Saadat Rizvi 7. Rafat Habib 8. Mazhar Rizvi

Jaffer's son, Haroon, also kept the family tradition alive and was well known in the Bombay Presidency. Ebrahim was a noted Muslim leader and a leading businessman. He became member of the Bombay Le(,islative Assembly in 19 1 0 and in 1915. Up to 1930 he remained a member of the Council of State, New Delhi. In 1920, he was appointed to the Imperial Council of India which acted as Advisory Committee to the Viceroy of India. In 1914 he was awarded the title of 'Khan Bahadur' and in 1926, knighthood was conferred on him. Sir Ebrahim took active part in spreading education amongst the Muslims and he presided over the Bombay Muslim Education Conference which was attended by Sir Akbar Hydery, Sir Ghulam Husain Hidayatullah, Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed. His educational activities got the patronage of the British Governor of Bombay.

He established a big Hall ( Jaffer Hall) in Pune in the name of his grandfather. He was instrumental in getting two hours' break for the Muslims working in the Government departments to enable them to offer Juma prayers. He also managed to remove illegal possession by the Government of the Shahi Mosque of Ahmednaaar. He took up the cause of renovating the Mazar of the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar in Rangoon. Though he was successful in getting the Mazar included in the list of historical monuments, the renovation work could not be completed during his life time. He died at an early age of 50.

Ahmed E. H. Jaffer was born in 1909. After matriculation, he joined Deccan College, Pune, for further education. He was a very ardent sport lover. He wanted to join Indian Civil Service but his father was against it or any other service so he joined the family business.

He was the chairman of the Reception Committee of All India Muslim Educational Conference held in 1940. This conference was presided over by the Chief Minister of Bengal Mouivi Faziul Haq and the inauguration ceremony was performed by the then Governor of Bombay.

Ahmed Jaffer was elected to the Indian Legislative Assembly while he was 24 years old. The defeated candidate, Hussain Bhai Laijee, filed a petition that under the Constitution of India, a person below the age of 25 could not be elected as a member of the Assembly. But very soon, in 1946, he again defeated the same opponent from the same constituency to become the youngest legislator.

The Quaid-e-Azam appointed him Deputy Whip of the Muslim League party in the Assembly. Coming over to Pakistan, he naturally remained a member of the Constituent Assembly and Parliament and remained as such till 1954 when Governor-General Ghulam Muhammad dissolved the parliament.

Ahmed Jaffer is well-known as a member for putting the highest number of questions in the Parliament on various aspects, particularly about the problems faced by the Mohajirs.

For the rehabilitation of the refugees he became the Chairman of the Board of Refugees Rehabilitation, Sindh, and was instrumental in establishing the First Mohajir Colony in the Gizri area of Karachi.

Ahmed became a well-known industrialist having assumed the chairmanship of several public and private limited companies, including some of his own. He was designated Chief-de-Mission of the Pakistan Squad for the Rome Olympic Games. He remained associated with a number of foreign organisations such as Gulf Chamber, Pak-German Cultural Association, Pak-Kuwait Friendship Association, Foreign Affairs Council of Pakistan, Pakistan-Arab Cultural Society, Old and New Parliamentarians Association, National Playing Fields Association of Pakistan, English Speaking Union of Pakistan and many other such organisations.

He went as Pakistan's delegate to many countries. He was a well-known collector of stamps and was a keen sportsman playing squash, tennis, golf. He was good at horse riding, and swimming. He was also a member of the Karachi Aero Club, Karachi Boat Club, Karachi Gymkhana, Karachi Race Course, Rawalpindi Gymkhana and Lahore Gymkhana. He was also a member of prestigious clubs of England.

He received many awards such as Sitara-e-Pakistan and foreign awards from Spain, Brazil, Jordan and the Government of U. K. At the age of 8 1, he was invited to Islamabad to attend a meeting which was convened by the Government to discuss celebrating the Pakistan Golden Jubilee in a befitting manner. But he died there of a massive heart attack.