Mazhar Ali Azhar

Mazhar Ali Azhar (13 March 1895 – 4 November 1974) was a politician in British India and later Pakistan, and one of the founders of Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam. He was elected three times to the Punjab Assembly, took part in the Madhe Sahaba Agitation in Lucknow, and became a prominent opponent to the partition of India.

Early life and education He was born on 13 March 1895 in Batala, Punjab, British India. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Government College University, Lahore in 1915 and later earned a Bachelor of Laws in 1917. He began practising as a lawyer in 1918.

Career He was born into a Shia family but later joined the Deobandi movement within Sunni Islam and ran a madrassa and mosque in Gurdaspur. Being a close companion of Syed Attaullah Shah Bukhari, he joined Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam, an offshoot of the Khilafat Movement.

Role in Madhe Sahaba Agitation The Madhe Sahaba Agitation of Lucknow is predecessor of the sectarian violence in Pakistan. Mazhar Ali Azhar played a prominent role in that movement. He believed that "Madhe Sahaba can be a weapon against the League"- an obvious reference to Jinnah's own background as a Khoja Shia. Justice Munir wrote in his report:

Life after independence Mazhar Ali Azhar referred to Jinnah as Kafir-e-Azam ("The Great Kafir"). He, as with other Ahrar leaders, opposed the partition of India.

In 1947, after the creation of Pakistan, he choose to reside in Lahore. He took part in the 1953 riots against Ahmadiyya community. Under the Displaced Persons Act of 1957, he was allotted a Bungalow in Fane Road, Lahore by the government of Pakistan against his claim of the assets he had left behind while migrating from Gurdaspur. He died in 1974.

Books, essays & articles As a prominent Ahrari leader and scholar, authored and translated several works in Urdu and was active in writing political essays and speeches. Original titleEnglish TranslationYearPublisherTypeDescriptionSoviet Rūs kā Nizām-e-KāryThe Working System of Soviet Russia1905Punjab Academy (Amritsar)Urdu TranslationTranslation of a work outlining Soviet economic and administrative systems. –Political speeches and essays in Ahrar publications1930s–1940s–Essay/SpeechesNumerous political writings and speeches during the Ahrar campaigns, particularly on Muslim electoral politics. Judāgāna Intikhab se Pakistan TakFrom Partition to Pakistan Through Segregated Elections1944–BookA political analysis of the 1946 elections and transition to Pakistan. Dunyā kī Bisāat-e-SiyāsatThe Global Political Balance––A survey of international political dynamics and post-war global order.