WITH the recent death of Khwaja Saifuddin, the last of the three children of Pakistan’s governor general and prime minister, Khwaja Nazimuddin, the last first-hand source of information on the life of one of the founding fathers of the country has ceased to exist.

Khwaja Saifuddin was the closest to his father and the only reliable source of information on the life and work of his illustrious father. In the last phase of Khwaja Nazimuddin’s life in Dhaka, he had the opportunity to spend his time in the company of his father alone where the two used to discuss political and social issues and events related to Pakistan.

Although most of the documents and photographs relating to Khwaja Nazimuddin were lost after his death, Khwaja Saifuddin was thoughtful enough to preserve in writing the views of his father for posterity while they were together in Dhaka. It was unfortunate that other members of the family were never keen to have a biography of Khwaja Nazimuddin published.

The account kept by Khwaja Saifuddin about the views of his father on the events leading to his dismissal when he had enjoyed the full confidence of the then parliament can still shed light on a period of great significance in national history. It is up to the government or some institution to come forward in this regard.

Abdul Jamil Khan

Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2021