Daily Times

Born in 1901, Syed Nazir Ahmed Niazi was an eminent scholar, journalist, and researcher, and he participated actively in the Pakistan Movement, notes his grandson Osama Rizvi.

Rizvi says his grandfather had taken up Niazi as his nom de plume seeking inspiration from a Turkish general actively involved in Kemal Attaturk’s campaign against colonisers. “He was an authority on Iqbaliyat. He was popularly known as James Boswell of Dr.Allama Muhammad Iqbal,” he says.

He says Nazir Ahmed Niazi’s life story is one of pursuit of knowledge, struggle for seeking truth and continuation of the mission of the Poet of the East.

Niazi joined Jamia Millia Islamia in 1922 and studied there till 1935. Growing up in a literary family, Niazi was got involved in academic pursuits from early on in his life. He was the nephew of Maulvi Mir Hassan, known as Shamsul Ulama (Sun of Scholars). “Mir Hassan had been a teacher of AllamaIqbal,” Rizvi notes. He says his grandfather went on to develop a strong emotional, intellectual and spiritual bond with Dr Iqbal. He says both Dr Iqbal and Niazi learned Persian and Urdu from Maulvi Hassan.

After migrating from India to Pakistan, Niazi joined government service and served in various academic and administrative positions including teaching at the Civil Services Academy and Finance Academy. “He had been a staunch supporter of the Two Nation Theory and vehemently opposed Mahatma Gandhi’s Wardha Scheme of Education,” Rizvi says.

He says his grandfather’s efforts for raising the standard of journalism and research in Pakistan were acknowledged by scholars like Maulana Syed Salman Nadvi and Maulana Abdul Majid.

In 1946, Niazi had taken over the responsibility of overseeing affairs in the Information and Communications wings of the Punjab Muslim League. He was graced with Pakistan Movement Gold Medal.

Niazi had the honour of translating Dr Iqbal’s famous work The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. He also translated 1930 Presidential Address to the 25th session of All-India Muslim League in Allahabad. On Iqbal’s instructions, Niazi had initiated a journal titled Tulu’i Islam that played a momentous role in Pakistan Movement.”He [Naizi] recorded his account of personal meetings with Dr Iqbal in a book published as “Iqbalkay Hazoor” in four volumes. The letters exchanged between the two were published by Iqbal Academy.”

Published in Daily Times, July 8^th , 2017.