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Dr Mahmud Husain Khan, Vice-Chancellor of the Karachi University, breathed his last on Thursday, 4 April 1975, at 2:30 a.m. He was laid to rest the same afternoon, as per his wish, under the shadow of the minaret of Jamia Millia Mosque at Malir, surrounded by four educational institutions he had himself founded.
I have been a copious reader of Pakistani newspapers since the early 1950s, but I haven't seen such wide coverage of anyone in the national press except for Liaquat Ali Khan, Fatima Jinnah, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy and Zulftkar Ali Bhutto. No educationist, no literary figure, and no political leader except for the first two named above have induced such widespread, profound and unmitigated sorrow by almost all sections of the Pakistani society since the 1950s, and throughout Pakistan. People from all strata of society condoled his death. These included the President, the Prime Minister, Central and Provincial Ministers, other political leaders, high officials, scholars, educationists, various cultural, professional, academic and student bodies and distinguished citizens. President Fazal Elahi Chaudhry called him 'an eminent educationist of high distinction'. Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto hailed him as a 'dedicated educationist' and a 'distinguished scholar'. Senate Chairman Habibullah Khan remembered him as a 'patriot'. Education Minister Abdul Hafeez Pirzada lauded his 'invaluable services'. The National Assembly and the Senate passed condolence resolutions. Others who condoled included Sindh Chief Minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, Sindh Governor Justice Abdul Quadir, Punjab Governor Ghulam Mustafa Khar (who considered his death 'a great national loss'), Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mir Ghulam Qadir, Balochistan Governor Mir Ahmed Yar Khan and a large number of federal and provincial ministers. They also included leaders of various parties across the political spectrum, including Jamaat-i-Islami (Jan Muhammad Abbasi, Chaudhry Rahmat Ali and Prof. Ghafoor Ahmad), Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Mufti Mahmood). So also the Karachi Bar Association, Karachi Union of Journalists, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Motamar Alam al-Islami (Pakistan branch), Pakistan Girls Guide Association, Pakistan Quami Yakjahati Council and Anjuman-e-Taraqui Urdu. Those who joined the mourning included numerous cultural and educational bodies and student organizations (including those of former East Pakistan/Bangladesh) - too numerous to be listed here.
The bare bones of Dr Mahmud Husain Khan's life are as follows. He...