Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, a renowned Journalist and a leader of the Pakistan Movement needs no introduction. The multifaceted personality of the Mualana will be remembered as a true, fearless journalist, a revolutionary poet, a vitriolic debater and a bold activist of the Pakistan Movement. He spoke and wrote in favour of the Muslims and against the prejudiced Hindu Congress and its anti-Muslim activities. He valiantly struggled for the uplift and arousal of the Muslims of India on all fronts. It was his unshakable devotion, his undaunted perseverance and commitment to his mission that Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah remarked in his Address in 1930, in a meeting held at Badashahi Mosque, “if you get some more youths like Zafar Ali Khan from Punjab, I assure you, Muslims cannot be defeated by any power.”

Maulana Zafar Ali Khan was born in 1873 in the village Kot Mirath, Tehsil Wazirabad. His father Maulvi Sirajuddin was an employee in the post office. Maulvi Sirajuddin had natural penchant for journalism and he brought out a weekly paper Zamindar from Wazirabad to highlight the problems of the poor farmer community of the Punjab. Under the supervision of Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, weekly Zamindar played a vital role on the journalistic front for Pakistan Movement. Zafar Ali Khan did his Matriculation from Patiala and graduation from Muslim University, Aligarh. Originally a poet and litterateur, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan made his debut in magazine journalism by launching, “Deccan Review”, a first class literary journal, from Hyderabad Deccan in 1904. After a few years, he returned to his home province, the Punjab, where he took over the editorship of “Zamindar” after the death of his father, Maulvi Sirajuddin Ahmad.

Maulana Zafar Ali Khan converted “Zamindar” into a daily. He initiated the elements of dynamism, fear-lessness and a rhetoric style of editorial-writing. While his contemporaries Muhammad Ali Jauhar and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad addressed their message, through their papers to the Muslim intelligentsia alone, Zafar Ali Khan knocked at the door of the common man and created in him an undying taste for newspaper reading. For a number of times, printing plants owned by him were confiscated by the government and the Maulana had to subscribe to the coffers of the government over a hundred thousand rupees as security deposits.

During Maulana’s life time, Muslims of India were passing through a crucial period. Within the country, they were fighting against the Hindus on political and social fronts while European colonialism was suppressing the Muslims throughout the world. The Partition of Bengal in 1905 and its abrogation in 1911 was an ample proof of Hindus turpitude against Muslims. Shudhi and Shanghtan movements were in progress to draw away the Muslims from Islam. In 1919, the tragedy of Jalianwala Bagh beat the past records of British atrocity and the large scale genocide of innocent people recalled the barbarism of Tartars. In 1929, the events of Ghazi Ilm-ud-Din’s unjustified execution was also an eye opener for the Muslim of India. During those critical circumstances, Zafar Ali Khan and his Zamindar clamoured with all his force against the British imperialism and its step-motherly treatment towards the Muslims of India. His revolutionary poetry with rebellious tings stirred the conscious of the Muslims and on the other hand unmasked the ugly face of Hindu hypocrisy and British despotism. His pen was a scalpel that pricked the Muslims and agitated them to rise against the colonial forces. Due to his rebellious write-ups, he was sentenced to jail many a time but nothing could shake his courage and resolution. When he wrote and published a biting poem Ragray Pay Ragra against Shudhi and Shanghtan movements, it caused a furor in the Hindu community across the country. They raised much hue and cry and demanded to ban Zamindar. Maulana’s passionate speeches and his grandiloquent style stirred the conscious of the audience and infused within them a spirit of struggle. In 1929, when the body of Ilm-ud-Din Shaheed was buried at Mianwali, Maulana addressed a mammoth rally at Mochi Gate, Lahore, on November 11, 1929 and categorically demanded the distinterment and return of the body to Lahore. Sensing the wave of agitation created by the speech, the Government accepted the demand. Likewise, when Khilafat Movement was launcehd in 1919 to save the Caliphate in Turkey, Maulana participated in the campaign along with Mulana Shaukat Ali, Maualana Muhammad Ali Johar, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and through his speeches appealed for the help. On his call, the Muslims of India donated hefty amounts and a sum of Rs. 600000 was collected and sent to Turkey.

A little after Partition of India, his health deteriorated and he gave up his political and literary activities due to his senility. His last participation was in the Urdu Conference, held at Punjab University on March 20, 1948, where he recounted his thesis but in a very feeble voice. On this occasion, he recalled his prime time and expressed his contentment on the establishment of Pakistan. On November 27, 1956 the founder of journalism and literature breathed his last.