Zakir Ali Khan

Muhammad Zakir Ali Khan (8 July 19268 February 2012) was a Pakistani litterateur and author. He served as a member of the Academic Council of the University of Karachi Khan is best known for co-founding the AMU Old Boys Association in Karachi in 1960

Early life and education Khan was born on 8 July 1926 in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh in British India, into a family with ancestral ties to the Barech (Pathan) tribe of Afghanistan. He completed his matriculation in Rampur before attending Aligarh Muslim University, where he earned a B.Sc. degree in 1945, followed by a B.Sc. in engineering in 1948. During his time at AMU, he met prominent political figures of the era, such as Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Liaquat Ali Khan, Dr. Zakir Husain, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sir Shah Sulaiman and Sarojini Naidu, which influenced his later involvement in educational and social initiatives.

Career Khan began his career in Karachi, Pakistan, after the partition of British India in 1947. He initially served as the chief engineer for the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, where he contributed to the city's urban development and infrastructure planning. His work in this role preceded his appointment as managing director of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), where he oversaw projects focused on improving water distribution and sewerage systems. He also served as a member of academic council of the University of Karachi.

Contributions to sports Khan advocated for sports development in Pakistan, particularly tennis and hockey. He played a central role in the establishment of the KMC Sports Complex (KMC) and its central tennis court, which became a venue for tennis events in Pakistan. In 1980, the complex hosted an exhibition match between Ilie Nastase of Romania and Pakistani tennis player Saeed Meer, attended by professional tennis player Arthur Ashe. Khan served as the secretary of the Lawn Tennis Association, Karachi division, and managed several Pakistani sports teams abroad.

He was also awarded Sir Syed Ahmed Khan International Award for Literature from Aligarh Muslim University in 2008 in recognition of his contributions to literary works and promotion of the mission of Sir Syed. He was also awarded Dr. Sir Ziauddin Award, and Aligarh Alumni Association, New York's Alumni Award in 2000.