Of Legend, The Venerated!: Abdul Hamid Nizami
By Raza Mumtaz - Pakistan Times Executive Editor

~ A tribute to a fabulous son of the Himalayan State of Jammu and Kashmir, Late Abdul Hamid Nizami on his seventh Death Anniversary ~

WITH an antediluvian milieu the dazzling Himalayan State of Jammu & Kashmir with a flora of matchless beguile in each n’ every facet is pragmatically accredited as Paradise on Earth. Even if turned into hub of mayhem by the naughty Indian muggers ever since 1947 the grandeur n’ splendour of this soil shall stay intact till time without end.

All ferocious gambits of the New Delhi warlords to trounce the consummate struggle by the heroic Kashmiris to ascertain their birth right of self-determination have proved inane perceptibly due to their pluck n’ fortitude plus the State being the abode of eternal saints like Lilla D’yta (RA), Sultan Bud Shah (RA), Shaikh Nooruddin Wali (RA) Syed Ali Shah Hamadani (RA), Hubba Khatoon (RA), Lilla Arifa (RA), Mian Mohammad Sahib (RA) Ghani Kashmiri (RA) whose inspirational names shall of course remain breathing till the Day of Judgment.

Atypically the land of Jammu & Kashmir has been blessed with spirits of alluring personalities in diverse arenas with distinctive intellect, hallmarked by ‘Taqwa’ n’ ‘Iman’.

Among the apex ranks a magnificent name, sanctified with dignity and honour is that of Late Abdul Hamid Nizami (RA) an aficionado of Hazrat Khawaja Hasan Nizami (RA) an all-time saint of Chishitia dynasty. Late Hamid Nizami was not only an inspiring personality but was simultaneously a historian, analyst, spiritual funnel as well as encyclopaedia of journalism in factual perceptions n’ vision.

Hailing from Akhnoor in the Jammu district, late Hamid Nizami born in Jammu in a modest family was a truthful icon of devotion, dedication, contentment with his exclusive honesty atop. Amidst hullabaloo created by the sycophant of Indian masters Maharaja Hari Singh in 1947 late Nizami Sahib without a sound moved his family to his idol soil Pakistan but he himself was arrested by the Dogra-cum-Indian regime and was put behind the bars along with his colleagues just for raising a vigorous voice for Kashmiris’ right to determine their destiny on their own.

Nizami was sentenced to death on the charge of ‘high treason’ but Allah Almighty saved his life and was set free without any condition except that he [Nizami] should migrate to Pakistan unilaterally else the Indian invaders of the State would expel him by force. The callous ‘rulers of the occupied Kashmir’ did so and the gallant freedom fighter was left with no option but to leave his ancestral dwelling and moved to Sialkot with a zest to get back to his home Jammu in a short span of time.

But Indian antagonistic mindset did not get his dream translated into a reality till the time he headed towards eternity on January the 13th in 1998 reciting Kalama-e-Tayyaba with the first echo of Azan-e-Fajr on the 14th day of the Holy month of Ramzan. Late Hamid Nizami not only authored many books on Kashmir including the Urdu rendering of the voluminous book ‘The History of Struggle for Freedom in Kashmir’ n’ ‘Inside Kashmir’ inked by famous Kashmiri historian, Pundit Prem Nath Bazaz but also led many delegations beyond oceanic to tell the world the truthful background of the Kashmir problem.

Late Nizami, who have had full command on English, Urdu, Kashmiri, Persian, Arabic and Punjabi languages, while in Kashmir, he edited noted dailies like ‘ Hamdrad’ n’ ‘Inqlab’ Srinagar and in the post-migration epoch, worked with the ‘The Pakistan Times’ and ‘Imroze’ Lahore with a lofty status. Before his journey to eternity he was the Editor of weekly ‘Daur-e-Jadeed’ a key symbol of Kashmiris’ struggle widely-circulated and well-accepted by all segments of society in Pakistan and on both sides of the Line of Control [LoC].

Before going into seclusion and just initiating the weekly he served the government of Azad Kashmir and revived the lifeless Silk industry as its pioneer. His fellows a the noted Prince of Wales College Jammu include amongst others the veteran personalities like Air Marshall (R) Asghar Khan and late Qudratullah Shahab.

A peculiar feature of Nizami Sahib was that he remained steadfast with a realistic approach and measured every thing with a judicious mindset instead of succumbing to miscellaneous devices of extol. The glittering lights, beaming from the window-panes of his tiny house 158 Abbot Road Sialkot went off instantly before dawn on January the 13th with a gloomy message from his sons sitting aside the therapeutic theatre of a private hospital that ‘the trail-blazer of the Kashmiris struggle had diminished due to a severe jerk of cardiac seize.

Though feeble primarily due to age factor no one believed it because Nizami Sahib, a towering personality with an idyllic healthiness had never confronted the startling ailment, which perpetually brings a beloved life to an end.

All efforts proved futile and the will who wanted to gaze the sun-rise of freedom in Jammu & Kashmir State could not perceive even the rising sun-shine of the Eid-ul-Fitr and moved towards eternity in a silky way at 0430 hours, [13th day of Ramadan, 1418 AH January the 13th 1998] leaving behind his endless reminiscences, dominated by a consistent struggle against the Indian invasion of the State of Jammu and Kashmir through his sturdy pen, leaving his nearest and dearest ones n’ thousands of his admirers amidst a pathetic scenario depicting tears rolling down from their cheek.

And back in 1949, he kissed the sacred soil of Pakistan as a great adherent of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah (RA) looking across Sochait Garh, a knotty edge for getting into Jammu but with full strength of mind to fight against the Indian invaders and showering a tangible note for his friends n’ fellows that the tyrannical era, initiated by the Indians shall not last long and will come to a permanent end in a short span of time.

He was absolutely familiar with the un-daunted resolve and determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and knew that India shall have to bend before the will of the people of the state, who are geographically, historically, economically, culturally, religiously and territorially linked with Pakistan.

Side-by-side joining the ranks of Muslim Conference, late Hamid Nizami pulled out his pen to recount the feelings of the Kashmiri people through his weekly ‘Daur-e-Jaddeed’ in post-retirement era. Like a straightforward patriot, he wanted the implementation of the United Nation resolutions on Kashmir which provide for a free, fair and impartial plebiscite in the state of Jammu and Kashmir under the aegis of the world body so as to ensure that the Kashmiris could establish their destiny by exercising their birth right of self determination.

Abdul Hamid Nizami (RA) was a firm believer of the state’s accession with Pakistan without which the ideology of Pakistan remains incomplete. Well- learned Nizami Sahib was, in fact a guide on Kashmir who knew every facet of the state’s history on finger-tips. Equipped with authentic acquaintance, he was known as an authority on the history, geography, culture, civilization, literature, polity and above all the liberation movement of the state.

His love for knowledge is evident from the fact that before leaving Srinagar, late Nizami opted to carry with him a voluminous set of books instead of any pricey item. Despite his relentless mission, he was least bothered about the political hierarchy in Azad Kashmir who did not even adore him. He was not passionate for any reward or award as he have had the singular am before him the liberation of occupied Kashmir from the Indian yoke.

The demise of late Abdul Hamid Nizami was intensely mourned world-wide, specifically by overseas Kashmiris with a hope that ‘the Nizami mission’ shall be kept breathing by the heirs who, to give impetus to his steadfast ideas in all times ahead. May Allah Almighty the Most Gracious and The Most Merciful bless late legend’s soul in eternal peace in Heavens.●