By Ghulam Dastageer
Ignored in books of history and other media of communication, Hafiz Syed Muhammad Zaman Shah Qadri Gilani — popularly known as Agha Jan (Rahmatullah Aleyh) — played pivotal role in the independence movement.
Born to the house of Sufi saint Syed Saeed Ahmad Shah Qadri Gilani in 1887, he had a profound love for religious and Sufi tendencies since his childhood. He was given the Khilfah (allowing one to carry on the responsibilities of a Sufi chain) of Silsila-ay-Qadriyah Hasaniyah at the age of 12 by his grandfather Hazrat Syed Akbar Shah Qadri Gilani(A.S) Agha Peer Jan (Rahmatullah Aleyh).
After schooling , he focussed his full attention on Hifz-ay-Quran . Like his forefathers his spent his whole life in spreading the message of Islam. He has to his credit to start the procession of ‘Jashn-ay-Eid Meeladun Nabi’ (SalAllaho Alehay Wa Alehee Wasallam) in Peshawar.
In 1943, his son Hazrat Syed Muhammad Ameer Shah Qadri Gilani, commonly known as Moulvee Jee (Rahmatullah Aleyh) established Majlis-ay-Meeladun Nabi in Peshawar and Agha Jan (Rahmatullah Aleyh) was made its founding president and first procession of Jashn-ay-Meeladun Nabi was taken out on 9th Rabiul Awwal 1326 hijrah/February 1943 from his hospice.
Agha Jan (Rahmatullah Aleyh) along with Haji Muhammad Ameen launched a movement to cleanse the society of evils. Both the spiritual mentors decided to rid the city of Peshawar of prostitution. In this connection a force of volunteers was raised which was assigned the duty to politely stop people from visiting the brothels of whores. However, in the second phase, the volunteers raised arms and forcibly stopped people from coming to these brothels. Finally, the prostituted compelled to leave the area and Peshawar was rid of the prostitution.
The credit of re-organising All India Muslim League in the Frontier province also goes to this prominent spiritual mentor of the Qadiriyah Hasaniyah order, Agha Jan (Rahmatullah Aleyh).
It merits mentioning here that he is the father of unanimously-revered spiritual figure of the NWFP Hazrat Syedna Muhammad Ameer Shah Qadri Gilani(A.S.) Moulvee Jee (Rahmatullah Aleyh) who passed away on October 27, 2004.
Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, after he was elected the president of AIML in 1934, focussed his attention on re-organisation of the party and started visiting different parts of the country for this purpose.
In this connection the father of the nation came to Peshawar on October 18, 1936 on the invitation of Pir Bakhsh Khan Advocate, who enjoyed the strong backing of Agha Jan (Rahmatullah Aleyh).
Agha Jan (Rahmatullah Aleyh), along with his three sons Syed Noor Ahmad Shah, Hakeem Syed Ahmad Husain and Moulvee Jee (Rahmatullah Aleyh), received Quaid-i-Azam at the Peshawar railway station. Quaid stayed at a house in Munda Beri Yakatoot Shareef, rented by Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Khan, which is presently housing a government high school for girls.
During his stay in Peshawar, Quaid-i-Azam expressed the desire that Muslims should contest elections under the platform of the AIML. However, Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum opined that there were scant chances of winning elections under the hastily-organised AIML. In that very perspective a body was formed to organise the AIML in the NWFP and Agha Jan (Rahmatullah Aleyh), espoused by Anjuman-i-Saadat Peshawar, called a meeting of the like-minded Leaguers at the house of Nasrullah Khan Aurakzai, who unanimously elected the office-bearers of the party, which included Nasrullah Aurakzai (patron), Mian Ghulam Husain (president), Syed Muhammad Zaman Shah (vice president), Muhammad Ismaeel Ghaznavi (secretary-general) and Haji Ghulam Nabi (finance secretary).
Soon after the formation of party organisation at city level the Leaguers organised the party at the Sarhad Legislative Council with the title Muslim League Assembly Party.
Observing the unprecedented success of the Leaguers in the Frontier province, Quaid-i-Azam sent a high-level delegation of the party to NWFP on July 11, 1938, which was led by Moulana Shaukat Ali. The other members of the team were Moulana Abdul Hamid Badayuni, Moulana Jamal Mian Farangi Mahli and Moulana Zafar Ali Khan.
Agha Jan (Rahmatullah Aleyh) had cordial relations with Moulana Abdul Hamid Badayuni and Moulana Zafar Ali Khan who addressed the party workers at the residence of Agha Jan (Rahmatullah Aleyh).
During the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1946, a clandestine makeshift radio station, Azad Pakistan Radio Station, was established. It had a small transmitter, which was brought to Peshawar by an activist of the Muslim National Guard Abdus Sattar, resident of Swat and a Dehli-based engineer with the same name.
The house of Agha Jan (Rahmatullah Aleyh) served as the headquarters of the radio station during the Civil Disobedience Movement. The radio station was used to disseminate information regarding schedule of public meetings and other party programmes.
Likewise, a clandestine newspaper, Sadai Pakistan, was also published from the basement of the house of Agha Jan (Rahmatullah Aleyh), which contained the proxy names of Qaharman and Botshikan as its editor-in-chief and assistant editor respectively.
He died on September 11, 1950 at the age of 63. He had eight sons — Syed Noor Ahmed Shah Gilani, Syed Sher Ahmed Shah Gilani, Hakeem Syed Ahmed Husain Gilani, Syed Muhammad Qamaruz Zaman Gilani, Syed Akhtaruz Zaman Shah Gilani, Syed Anwar Shah Gilani and Syed Asghar Shah Gilani — and two daughters.
May Allah give him Highest place in Jannah with companionship of Prophet Muhammad salleh Allaho alaih waalehe wasalam . Ameen