Abdus Salim Khan, also known as Khan Sahib (28 December 1907 – 12/13 July 1957) was an

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

Civil Servant who later joined Pakistani Civil Service to become a diplomat. He served as an ambassador to several countries representing Pakistan.

Background

Abdus Salim Khan was born on 18 December 1907, at Talokar (village), near Haripur, NWFP,

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

, as the eldest son to Abdul Majid Khan Tarin, Khan-sahib, OBE. After completion of his early education at Aitchison College,

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...

, he went on to take higher degrees from the

Government College Lahore The Government College University, Lahore (colloquially known as GCU), is a public research university located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Opened as Government College, Lahore, in 1864, it became a university in 2002. Overview In 1864, Gov ...

. In 1934, he was married to

Begum Mahmooda Salim Khan Begum Mahmooda Salim Khan ( ur, بیگم محمودہ سلیم خان; May 1913 – June 2007) was a Pakistani social worker, early political figure and a cabinet minister in West Pakistan for education during President Ayub Khan's regime. Bac ...

, the eldest daughter of then

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

governor Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan.

Career

Having joined the British Indian Civil Service in 1933, Khan served as a magistrate and a Political Officer in the

North-West Frontier Province The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP; ps, شمال لویدیځ سرحدي ولایت, ) was a Chief Commissioner's Province of British India, established on 9 November 1901 from the north-western districts of the Punjab Province. Followi ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

he served as a director of the War Supply Department of the then Government of India. After the establishment of

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

in 1947, he was inducted into the country's fledgling

Foreign Service of Pakistan The Foreign Service of Pakistan ( ur, ) is part of the Central Superior Services of Pakistan. It was formally created in October 1952, after having been an improvised organization since the creation and independence of Pakistan in 1947. Its o ...

and sent first as the country's first Trade Commissioner to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and was thereafter appointed as Pakistan's formal representative (High Commissioner) there, a few months later. He was one of the members of Pakistani delegation at

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the ...

Conference at

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...

, 1950, which framed the Colombo Plan. Between 1951 and 1953 he held diplomatic postings in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

and the United States; and in 1953, he was appointed as Pakistan's Chargé d'Affaires in Japan. and then ambassador, playing an instrumental role in firmly establishing positive Japan-Pakistan relations. In 1955, he was posted away as Pakistan Consul-General at

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

, USA. In May 1957, he was then posted as Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

. He died there suddenly of heart failure between 12/13 July 1957 and his body was flown back and buried in his native village.Obituary, Dawn 1957

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Abdus Salim 1907 births 1957 deaths People from British India People from Haripur District Hindkowan people Ambassadors of Pakistan to Japan High Commissioners of Pakistan to Sri Lanka All articles lacking reliable references Articles with unsourced statements from January 2020 All articles needing expert attention Aitchison College alumni Government College University, Lahore alumni Hayat Khattar family

Background

Career

See also

References