Monday Musing: The Man With Qualities

Sahabzada Yaqub Khan is the father of one of my closest friends, Samad Khan. He is also probably the most remarkable man I have ever met. All Pakistanis know who he is, as do many others, especially world leaders and diplomats, but to those of you for whom his name is new, I would like to take this Monday Musing as an opportunity to introduce him.

The first time that I met Sahabzada Yaqub Khan about six years ago, he was in Washington and New York as part of a tour of four or five countries (America, Russia, China, Japan, etc.) relations with which are especially important to Pakistan. He had come as President Musharraf's special envoy to reassure these governments in the wake of the fall of the kleptocratic shambles that was Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's so-called democratic government. Samad Khan, or Sammy K as he is affectionately known to friends, invited me over to his apartment to meet his Dad. I had heard and read much about Sahabzada Yaqub and knew his reputation for fierce intellect and even more intimidating, had heard reports of his impatience with and inability to suffer fools, so I was nervous when I walked in. Over the next couple of hours I was blown away: Sahabzada Yaqub was not much interested in talking about politics, and instead, asked about my doctoral studies in philosophy. It was soon apparent that he had read widely and deeply in the subject, and knew quite a bit about the Anglo-American analytic philosophy I had spent the previous five years reading. He even asked some pointed questions about aspects of philosophy which even some graduate students in the field might not know about, much less laymen. Though we were interrupted by a series of phone calls from the likes of Henry Kissinger wanting to pay their respects while Sahabzada Yaqub was in town, we managed to talk not just about philosophy, but also physics (he wanted to know more about string theory), Goethe (SYK explained some of his little-known scientific work, in addition to quoting and then explicating some difficult passages from Faust), the implications of Gödel's incompleteness theorem, and Urdu literature, of which Sahabzada Yaqub has been a lifelong devotee.

I left late that night dazzled by his brilliance, and elated by his warmth and generosity. Sahabzada Yaqub listens more than he speaks, but when he does speak, he is a raconteur extraordinaire. Since then, I have been fortunate enough to get to know him well, and have spent many a rapt hour in his company. On my last trip to Islamabad, he and his wife and Sammy K had me and my wife Margit over for dinner, where upon learning that Margit is from Italy, Sahabzada Yaqub spoke with her in Italian. Then, realizing that she is from the South Tyrol (the German-speaking part of Italy near the Austrian border), he spoke to her in German, giving us a fascinating mini-lecture on German translations of Shakespeare. I can picture him now, emphatically declaiming "Sein oder nicht sein. Das ist hier die frage." (The picture on the right with Sammy K and me is from that night.)

Sahabzada Yaqub Khan has done and been so many things, that it is hard to know where to begin describing his career in the short space that I have. An aristocrat from the royal family of Rampur, he has served as a soldier, statesman, diplomat, and chairman of the board of trustees of Pakistan's finest university, among other things, and has excelled in each of these roles. In 1970, he was a Lieutenant General in the Pakistan army, and governor of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) when he was ordered by the military dictator of Pakistan at the time, General Yahya Khan, to have troops forcibly put down the mutiny there, which had spilled out into the streets. It is a testament to Sahabzada Yaqub's moral courage that he refused, and resigned instead. Yahya, of course, found less-conscientious generals to do his dirty work, and the result was a massacre of Bengali civilians before a humiliating defeat in war when India stepped in on the side of the insurgents, and ultimately the dismemberment of Pakistan. This is a dark chapter in Pakistani history for which the government has yet to apologize to the Bangladeshi people. Sahabzada Yaqub Khan is, however, still celebrated as a hero in Bangladesh. (His moral convictions haven't changed, either. The last time Sahabzada Yaqub visited New York in July, 2004 he came over for drinks and pizza--he is a man of sophisticated tastes who still enjoys simple things--and more than anything else, that day he repeatedly expressed his shock and dismay at the behavior of U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib. What particularly galled and appalled him was that the troops took such delight and pride in their torturous abuse that they felt compelled to record it on film--as if they wanted to be able to relive it. The lack of shame was what disturbed him the most.)

Soon after the debacle of 1971, when a properly-elected civilian government had taken power in Pakistan, Sahabzada Yaqub was offered, and accepted, several diplomatic appointments, serving as Pakistan's ambassador to France, the Soviet Union, and the United States. Let me illustrate his reputation as a cold-war strategist with a quick anecdote: one day Sammy K and I were searching through some old packed boxes of Sammy K's for a 70s punk rock record, when I came upon an official looking document, with the seal of the President of the United States on it. On examination, it turned out to be a letter from Nixon to Sahabzada Yaqub, written while Nixon was president, and (I am quoting from memory) this is roughly what Nixon had to say: "It was a pleasure meeting you and spending some time talking to you. Alexander Haig had told me that you are probably the most astute geopolitical thinker alive today. Having met you, I believe this was an understatement. Call me anytime." Or words to that effect.

From 1982 onwards, Sahabzada Yaqub Khan served as Pakistan's foreign minister in various governments. He was a central figure in the UN negotiations to end Soviet involvement in Afghanistan. From 1992 to 1994, Sahabzada Yaqub was also the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative for the Western Sahara. And in November 1999, as I have already mentioned, Sahabzada Yaqub traveled to various countries as President Musharraf's special envoy. While Sahabzada Yaqub was in America as part of that tour, William Safire wrote an editorial in the New York Times in which, amongst much else, he said that for clarification about the situation in Pakistan he turned to "the most skillful diplomat in the world today: Sahabzada Yaqub Khan."

Though he has always been fiercely protective of his privacy, politely refusing to write his memoirs despite great public demand (including entreaties over the last few years from me), Sahabzada Yaqub Khan has recently allowed some of his writings to be collected into book form: Strategy, Diplomacy, Humanity, compiled and edited by Dr. Anwar Dil, had its launch earlier this month at a ceremony at the Agha Khan University in Karachi. Here is a description of the book from the AKU website:

...the book Strategy, Diplomacy, Humanity contains Sahabzada Yaqub-Khan’s selected writings, with photos spanning his entire life, culled from his lectures, articles and speeches between 1980s and the present day. They describe his thoughts on national strategy, diplomacy, world affairs, education and his vision of a world of dialogue and peace for all of humanity. In the foreword, Shaharyar M. Khan, former foreign secretary of Pakistan, describes the book as “essential reading for the student of modern history, diplomatic strategy, and the art and craft of negotiations. They reflect the outpourings of a brilliant analyst whose immense talent was applied towards achieving pragmatic objectives in Pakistan’s national interest.”

I have been unable to obtain the book, but even without having seen it yet, I can safely urge you to get a copy and read it if you can. I also hope that Sahabzada Yaqub overcomes his reticence soon and writes the detailed memoirs that history demands of him.

Among other things, Sahabzada Yaqub Khan is a true polyglot: he can speak, read and write somewhere between 6 and 10 languages. While he was governor of East Pakistan, he learned Bengali and delivered public addresses in it, which went a long way toward assuaging their concerns of cultural dominance by West Pakistan. He is also a stylishly impeccable dresser (he was voted best-dressed several years in a row by the Washington diplomatic corps). My greatest joy in his company, however, remains his inimitable explications of the deeper philosophical implications buried in Ghalib's couplets, of which he has been a longtime and enthusiastic student. In short, he is a man with many and diverse qualities.

Have a good week!

My other recent Monday Musings:
Special Relativity Turns 100
Vladimir Nabokov, Lepidopterist
Stevinus, Galileo, and Thought Experiments
Cake Theory and Sri Lanka's President

Comments

[timothy don]

My god! I had begun to think that men like this were a legend, a myth, or a fiction. Get him citizenship here. We need him more than ever. Thank you for sharing.

[timothy don]

My god! I had begun to think that men like this were a legend, a myth, or a fiction. Get him citizenship here. We need him more than ever. Thank you for sharing.

[J. M. Tyree]

Greatly enjoyed your post, Abbas. The anecdote about him switching from Italian to German is a classic bit of encounter. Mondays are becoming quite a pleasurable outing on this site.

[John Ballard]

Great sketch.
You already know without my saying so how privileged you are to know such a person. Even if he continues to decline writing memoirs, your own anecdotal memories along with those of others who know him will become the next best thing.

[Tasnim]

As impressive as Sahibzada Yacub Khan is, it also speaks highly of your intellectual capacities that he seaks you out every time he is in New York or you are in Pakistan, to spend an evening with you. Enjoyed the ppiece very much. Tasnim.

[morgan meis]

Your Borgesian/Kafkan qualities become more refined with every passing week. If I didn't know you so well I would have thought that Sahibzada Yacub Khan actually existed. I particularly like the fact, as you let slip to me in conversation, that the initials SYK could be pronounced 'psyche!', as the kids used to say.

cheers.

[Ejaz Ashraf]

Immensely enjoyed your sketch, feeling refershed though it is four in the morning here. I would like to add some ramblings of my own. A few years back I was having some problems in determining the stride of my life and someone suggested I should seek the grand old man's advice. I merely wondered at the moment if a man of his stature would actually give me an audience. I did call and was given an appointment and what I now know is nothing but gratitude for the way he listened and spoke to me. How he gave me time and how he showed sensitivity to my problem, to someone he was meeting for the first time says it all about him. He is a true legend and a role model for all generations to come. I sincerely hope that I can meet him again and yet again, for you can never have enough of the great old man.

Ejaz Ashraf.

[yasir]

there is no doubt that sahibzada is in those few people since the inception of Pakistan, that who resigned on priciples and than Allah compensated him more than what he left in 1971.He is given great qualities by Allah,he is multiglot,a true statesman and above all an outstanding teacher.

[Kamal]

SYK is truly a remarkable person. I first heard of him from my late father who had briefly served under him and spoke very highly of him. I was under the impression that he spoke 13 different languages.

It is truly disappointing that a man of his intellectual qualities has so little exposure in Pakistan.

This man showed uncommon moral courage and nobility of character when he resigned his commission as Lt. General, during the 1971 debacle.

Unfortunately, such high-level of moral clarity is an extremely rare commodity, even in today's day and age, among the professional armies of the world.

[Ariff]

i am mostly impressed by him due to his moral courage to refuse order of Yaha Khan in 1971 and put his resignation from Army.

[Savail Hussain]

Write SYK's biography. It will be significant contribution to the history of Pakistan- provided that you can be reasonably objective. I can take it from your writings that objectivity for you is going to be tough but for a credible biography you must make that extra conscious effort. Best of luck and I hope to one day read your book.

Savail Hussain

Lahore

[Christopher Alam]

An excellent piece, yet you forgot to mention one thing. Sahibzada Yaqub Khan was a military strategist par excellence. As an Armour Commander, he was of the class of Guderian or Rommel.

[amrsalman]

I just reached your site accidentally while finding something written by SYK. After all, he was at the helm of Pakistan’s diplomacy for over 20 years and rightly, one could expect someone in his position to produce if not a tome, a research paper size monograph which can enlighten students of strategy about what it is. By far, what I know, all what is collected in his memorial (to be correct) by A. Dil is only boring speeches written by the Foreign Service bureaucrats over the years. With all deference to SYK and some other luminaries of the kind in Pakistan, it is entirely different what you are by virtue of holding a public office and what you are in your own capacity.( SYK though in comparison to the recent past and present semi-literate lot of phony public office holders now appears to be much preferred). There were many myths created with design about the stuff of Pakistan military generals and SYK when he was made the face of Pakistan as savvy chief diplomat was passing through worst dictatorship in its history which destroyed its very fabric by hanging the elected PM and flogging people for holding political views. SYK as informed (foreigner) living in one of the foreign capitals was defending the regime vehemently but he never either condemned it or ever resigned for making Pakistan a torture cell.. And one more interesting spice for your readers. Janab Sahabzada was candidate for the Director Generalship of UNESCO in 1987 and was defeated by a Spanish candidate Mayor’ because voting countries found deficit in Sahabzada’s educational, scientific and cultural credentials due to his strong association with military dictator. He might have won had it been a democratic government in Pakistan. Of course not because he was qualified for the job but because winning votes for international positions are also give and take like local politics. Another such hilarious incident was aspiration of Anwar ul Haq former CJP to sit on the ICJ as judge. When people checked his credentials, he was found holding a BA degree without a law degree. But myth of experience was behind him. He was nominated because then he had served by hanging Bhutto. So are the bizarre ways of our dictators that they see only those individuals qualified, who serve them without questioning their legitimacy.
If anyone has a doubt as to who was playing the shots during Afghan war, there is a lot of seminal literature available which brings out the truth. Yes SYK has been well dressed and on many occasions found oddly over dressed but at least he was better dressed than the present incumbent Pakistani FM Kasuri, who close his eyes and think he is “NABOB” like SYK and emulate him. In this context, so far, I recall,SYK was never seen wearing shalwar kameez the national dress. If he had not worn it, I would have never objected over it since dressing is a personal preference. However, what many Pakistanis were amused to see was the great SYK in English pants and eastern sherwani. Yes it’s true. He perhaps thought he was FM representing that tiniest empire called Rampur in UP while still being on the pay roll of state of Pakistan for more than 50 years. Such are the state of affairs in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. One man can even modify the national dress so blatantly with impunity while holding public office. I won’t delve further on great strategists of Pakistan. Please accept my apologies for being little candid but you may check the facts if you wish. I bet if ever SYK will write his memoirs.

[Mohammad Khan]

Here is an old Pathan joke from the 1980s:

The President of United States Ronald Reagan visits Pakistan. The President of Pakistan General Zia-ul-Haq takes him on a site seeing tour of Pakistan. While site seeing in Karachi the US President notices a Pathan peeing against a wall. He complains to the Pakistani President that if it was the US, he would have had this man shot for committing such an act in public. General Zia gets embarrassed and in order to save the pride of his Nation, orders the Pathan to be shot. But General Zia in his heart swears to take revenge on the Americans for costing the life of a fellow Pakistani. Now comes the turn of General Zia-ul-Haq to visit the US. He goes to the US. President Reagan takes him on site seeing trip across the US. While visiting The Financial District of New York he notices a man in a business suit peeing against a wall. He immediately points him out to the US President; look here you have a man peeing against a wall. The US President being a man of his word; orders the man to be shot. General Zia becomes happy that he has finally taken revenge on the Americans for having a fellow Pakistani shot. The next day media around the world reports that Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shahibzada Yakoob Ali Khan was shot in the US.

Don't get me wrong, I have great respect and admiration for Shahibzada Yaqoob Ali Khan.
But I am never afraid to poke fun at my fellow Pathans

[Jerry Mus]

This was interesting to read. A first hand account with one of the players in the Cold War.

There is quite a bit of mention (all positive atleast for him, can't speak to in other contexts) in "Charlie Wilson's War" by Geroge Crille, which is also now a major Hollywood movie.

For whatever people say about his work, he seems to be cut out of the old British diplomatic class, always the gentlemen carrying about the Crown's affairs. He may be the last of an old and dying breed.

[sami haque]

hile browsing thecomm blogs icame across this blog on shahibnzada Yakub Khan.I have been a long fan of his ever since he became Commander eastern Command in the then EastPakistan.

I am a Bangladeshi and was a student and witnessed all the events that took place in Dhaka in March 1971. Everyone remembers the role played by SYK that time.
,Ever since then i like many many young men remember him fondly.The courage he showed in refusing to take millitary against the Bengalis because of his clean conviction that political matters should should be settled politically and not millitarily.Today we all admire his profound vision that made him such a respectable person to everyone who have met him.

When he was the commander of eastern command in dhaka he looked so different from the rest of the fat pakistani generals,he was fair handsome and slim.His cap was a special one, not the curvy ones used by the others . I admire him the other reason was he respected the Bengalis ,their culture, language He was the only pakistani general who spoke in bengali when he addressedthe bengal regiment soldiers.He understood the bengalis which most of the Pakistanis duffers did not realise which ultimatelyled us to cecede from Pakistan for the better.

Other day i was reading out of curiosity the book of the other defeated general , Niazi!!!

There is a whole chapter of SYK in his book "THE BETRAYEL OF EAST PAKISTAN'. the book itself is misnamed, it should have the betrayal of west Pakistan. frankly speaking i was shocked to read the rubbish that was written by Niazi,he blamed SYK for leaving his men during the March showdown with the Bengalis as an act of cowardice.He downlayed his family background, his role 1965 in indo pak war, his intellect.How could that clown compere himself with SYK,the rubbish he wrote in that book doesnt deserve to be read by any sane person.Because in the book he was only intelligent person who could have saved Pakistan from 1971 debacle,the reasons were absolutely in the mentalilty of a havildar and not an officer.How could someone who is surrounded by totally hostile population, millitarily,morally shattered army defend itself ?But that clown claimed that he was not allowed by the GHQ to enter India to fight the Mukti Bahini and destroy thir camps.Bloody clown who would then defend his supply lines?he admits that entire bengali population were his enemy.That clown does not realise the realities of the region at that time .

Those unspeakable names like tikka,niazi,farman,yahya,gul hasan,peerzada and many more who deserved to be hanged in public for their crimes and we Bengalis spit on their names. their names can never stand beside the name of SYK, because he is a sane human being, who cares for peace .
Of the few good memories i have of Pkistani colonialism names of men like Asghar Khan,Wali khan,Sardar Bugti,Gaus Bus Bijenjo,Shahibzada yakubKhan
Admiral Ahsan,Air commodore M Z Masud base commander Paf Dhaka in 1971 are a few who will be fondly remembered .

Wishing long life to a Great Man like Shahbzada Yakub Khan.

[raja nadeem khan]

he is a great man
im proud of him
i spent 4 hours with this man an i was always remmember him..
pakistan and kashmiri people love u ...
i love u sir
nadeem...
from uk..

[Adnan Khan]

O people!

Open your eyes, and admit the great doings of SYK. He did what NONE other has done yet... he refused a military order, gave away everything, but stood by his good judgement. Did he know at that time, that he would later be offered diplomatic assignments? So what he did was really really commendable, and we must all admit to that. That was done in the interest of the nation. If someone asks me why he did all the diplomatic assignments later, I can answer just this:- in the interest of the nation. There was and is NO ONE else that could have done it better than him. You are great SYK, and the government of Pakistan should give you back your full rank and honours back, because you deserve it.

[RRY]

Now we need another SYK....to stand up and call for the peaceful partitioning of Pakistan before the country falls to bloody civil war/insurgency.

It is time the Pashtuns be set free, to have their Pashtunistan or to join Afghanistan - if we deny them this, Pakistan is going to turn into one bloody place for sure...yet the result is going to be the same.

SYK II...where r u?

[Atif]

I Think SYK must write or help write his biography.

he owes it to World in general and Pakistani Nation in particular.

it is not a matter of keeping is privacy intact - it is about helping the nation learn from history.

[Shanif Dewany]

Dear Abbas

I had somehow known that Sahibzada Yaqoub Khan was a man of substance, even a great man, without actually having had any contact with him either directly or indirectly for the last 20 years. All I had to go on were some childhood memories of seeing him on television while growing up in Karachi before immigrating with my family to Kenya in early 1989...I was fourteen then. But I still remember his presence (as much as one can surmise on a black and white TV set), his command of the language and his aristocratic composure.

I did catch a glimpse of him on TV in my early days in Kenya but then the demands of being a youth got the better of me. However, over the years I made a mental note of tracking him down some day and getting my hands on more reading material that would hopefully confirm my initial intuitions. May I therefore say how glad (and somewhat relieved) I was to come across your blog and read about this most impressive of men, some one that we all want to emulate but fall hopelessly short of doing so.

My only regret is not having had an opportunity to interact with him…perhaps some day soon. I guess subconsciously I have had deep admiration and respect (and rightly so!) for this modern day Renaissance Man since my childhood days and I am grateful to you for the confirmation.

Rgds

Shanif

[Syed Chishti]

Mr.Sahibzada Yaqub Khan is some one whom I have known for years. Not only I had known him as a General of Pakistan Army, a Diplomat, and a Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, but also as a very affectionate person. A personality which is hard to find in today’s materialistic world.

[Mahmood]

Perhaps a unique perspective of the Sahibzada, my first memory of whom is when I was visiting my parents in Dacca during the summer holidays of 1968 from Cadet College Petaro. My father was then the General Manager of the Intercontinental Hotel in Dacca, he and the Sahibzada had been in school together and whereas the General had been senior to my father in service in the Pakistan army they were on a first name basis. It was a luncheon table in the Flag Staff House and we were enjoying a private family meal and I remember that despite those excruciating days of confusion, we had the most serene get together, with the General addressing me on multiple occasions, inquiring about my boarding school and teenage life in Dacca taking in my answers with utmost seriousness and attention. I returned to college and his ensuing resignation, etc. etc. I never had the opportunity of seeing him again.

It was in 1982, I was visiting Karachi with the Governor of Baluchistan as his ADC, and got the opportunity of dipping in for dinner with my father who was then the General Manager of the Karachi Intercontinental, and with him was SYK and my elder brother who was a fighter pilot in the Pakistan Air Force. My father was having a dig at him, saying “Jacob, look my elder son a fighter pilot and my younger son a cavalry officer”. SYK was being defensive, “You see my son couldn’t join the forces because he is studying in the USA, but he knows everything about fighter aircraft and military history”. The fact was that our father was more sincerely committed to serving Pakistan, and despite his ability to send us to American schools had volunteered our joining the Pakistani defense services and SYK who was a conscientious man realized that. Thereafter I took every opportunity to salute him or if possible shake his hand on the periphery of the cabinet meetings in Rawalpindi or Islamabad.

I was shunted out of the army as had been my father for being an Ahmedi, eventually my brother had to leave too, our father died of a stroke or essentially of a heartbreak, quite unsung for our war records or other services to Pakistan, now we are sitting on the sidelines watching Pakistan implode essentially because of over corrective contributions made by our great leaders and in certain case omissions by the general public. To me sitting out of the country it seems that nature is exacting its retribution from the people of Pakistan for their coercive policies against the weak minorities. Though I sit on among others the Board of Trustees of the Global Center, United Nations and meet diplomats from around the world, I still remember those days in Probyn’s Horse with great fondness, that camaraderie and tradition which seemed everlasting in the present day scenario seems a far cry.

[What]

Good reading. Great peice.

[Sabila Malik]

he was a great leader, us na pakistan kay liya bohat kuch kya, ALLAH unko apni jawareh e rehmat ma jaga day

[M Tariq Ihsan]

MY TRIBUTE TO SAHABZADA YAQUB KHAN

I met Sahabzada Yaqub Khan in 1990 when I was a subaltern. He came to visit us in Army Field Headquarters, during exercise Zurb e Momin. At that time he was accompanying a foreign delegation to attend a briefing, arranged for the ever biggest exercise Pakistan Army rehearsed to show off her giant muscle to the rest of the world. On conclusion of the briefing Sahabzada Yaqub Khan took a round of the signal unit to meet the troops, he was anxiously waiting. Probably he wanted to meet the troops in a bid to compare existing Army standard and the standard he experienced in his time, when he was in uniform. While taking round of the unit, like an old veteran, he had an elaborate session of interaction with young signal officers and troops, participating in the field exercise. During this interactive session he got hold of a head gear of a radio operator to test his memory by recording a message on radio receiver, sent on Morse code from a far location. All senior officers, who accompanied him in the visit, stood beside him to see the result of a difficult assessment he opted to check his memory. Nevertheless it was a difficult test because such an assignment is only doable by those radio operators who are either in practice or mastered the trade through extensive on job training. Beyond every body’s expectation he received a correct message even with no mistake in the message format. This was the short glimpse I had of this great man who at various points in his career developed diverse qualities and capabilities to discharge duties to the desirable standards. No doubt he is a soldier of honor and did a lot for the betterment of Pakistan. I heard a lot about him that he knows about 6 to 10 languages, but no doubt, “seeing is believing”.
Sahabzada Yaqub Khan's roots can be traced to Nawab Mirza Ghalib who was appointed teacher of Nawab of Rampur in 1857. Yaqub Khan is the member of the royal family of the Indian princely state of Rampur. His father, Sahibzada Sir Abdus Samad Khan Bahadur, was a statesman and diplomat who at various points in his career served as chief minister of the state of Rampur, and as British India's representative to the League of Nations. Sahabzada Yaqub Khan studied at the famous Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College, Dehradun. After graduating, he served in North Africa during World War II as a lieutenant in the British Indian Army, taking part in the Siege of Tobruk. He was taken prisoner in 1942, and spent the next three years in an Axis prisoner-of-war camp before being released at the end of the war.
After independence, he opted for Pakistan, where he went on to enjoy a distinguished career in the Pakistani Army. He opted for Diplomatic career upon asking retirement from the Army. He served as Ambassador to France, the United States and Soviet Union from 1972 to 1982. While posted in USA, he also played a major role in the resolution of 1977 Hanafi Siege in Washington, D.C. Since 1982 he served as Foreign Minister under seven different governments. Then from 1992 until 1997 Yaqub Khan was the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative for the Western Sahara. Sahabzada Yaqub Khan is the founding chairman of the Aga Khan University Board of Trustees, which he chaired for almost two decades until his retirement in 2001. Sahabzada Yaqub Khan is married to Begum Tuba Khaleeli, of the prominent Iranian Khaleeli family of Calcutta, and has two sons, Samad and Najib.
He is the greatest intellectual of the present time. I pray to Allah Almighty to give us leaders, with equivalent wisdom like him, who shall earnestly work hard to raise Alma matter of our nation. He, at various points in his career, has served this country as a soldier, statesman and diplomat. He has excelled in each of these roles with total sense of dedication and commitment. May Allah reward him in this world and here after for all his good deeds and scarifies for Muslims as a nation, desperately in need of a leader with exalted vision to accomplish objectives set forth for achievement.

[Amer]

great piece about a great man...