Descendants recall Quaid's trusted aide's role in Pakistan Movement

Family memories offer fresh insight into Nawab Muhammad Ismail Khan's political struggle

KARACHI:

Descendants of prominent Pakistan Movement leader Nawab Muhammad Ismail Khan on Wednesday recalled his close association with Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and his contribution to the struggle for Pakistan at an event held at Mazar-e-Quaid.

Asad IA Khan and Ayesha Islam, grandson and granddaughter of Nawab Muhammad Ismail Khan, shared family accounts of his political struggle and relationship with Jinnah during an interactive session titled "Companions of the Quaid: As Told by the Descendants of Freedom Fighters."

The event was organised at the Audio-Visual Hall of Mazar-e-Quaid by the Quaid-e-Azam Academy, Mazar-e-Quaid Management Board, National Heritage and Culture Division and Anjuman-e-Asatiza Pakistan as part of activities marking the 150th birth anniversary year of the Quaid.

Responding to questions from moderator Dr Fayyaz Ahmed Shaheen, the two speakers described Nawab Ismail as a frontline leader of the Pakistan Movement and one of Jinnah's trusted associates.

His services and sacrifices have secured him a prominent place in the history of the struggle for Pakistan.

Mazar-e-Quaid Manage-ment Board Resident Engineer Abdul Aleem Sheikh said the initiative was aimed at bringing a "living chapter" of history before younger generations. "The purpose is not merely to recall the past but to pass on events and experiences that often did not become part of the written historical record," he said.

Sheikh said many accounts of the Pakistan Movement had survived through families and been passed down from one generation to another.

Such initiatives, he added, could help young people better understand their history and national heritage.