Birmingham: A powerful tribute event, Khan Sahib Remembrance Day, was held in Birmingham to commemorate the extraordinary life and legacy of Baba-e-Poonch, Colonel Khan Muhammad Khan. Organised by the Sudhan Educational Conference UK (SEC UK), the event highlighted Khan Sahib’s enduring impact on education, social justice, and the empowerment of the Kashmiri people.
The gathering was presided over by Maulana Tariq Masood, General Secretary of SEC UK, and attended by numerous prominent community leaders, scholars, and political figures. Barrister Ayoub Khan, MP, served as the event’s chief guest. Barrister Ayoub Khan, MP paid heartfelt tributes to Colonel Khan Muhammad Khan, reflecting on his pivotal role in leading an intellectual and educational revolution in Kashmir and emphasising his visionary efforts in uplifting the region’s educational standards, fostering leadership within the Kashmiri community, and inspiring a generation of Kashmiri activists and leaders, including Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, the founding president of the independent government of Jammu and Kashmir.
Maulana Tariq Masood and other speakers described Khan Sahib’s life work as a beacon of hope and progress for the oppressed people of Kashmir. “Baba-e-Poonch liberated Kashmiri Muslims from the double oppression of the Maharaja of Kashmir and the Raja of Poonch before the subcontinent’s partition, teaching them self-respect, resilience, and the strength to pursue education as a path to empowerment,” said Masood. Speakers and attendees recognized Khan Sahib’s pioneering contributions to providing essential support and resources for the underprivileged, such as establishing ‘Sarai Poonch’, which offered free food and lodging to students and travellers in need.
Khan Sahib’s dedication to uplifting the Kashmiri Muslim community continued with the founding of Darul Uloom Pallandri, along with numerous madrasahs, schools, and mosques that ignited the pursuit of knowledge in a region plagued by poverty and ignorance. His lifelong service, boundless knowledge, and friendship continue to be remembered as an inspiration for generations.
At the conclusion of the event, prayers were offered for the elevated status of Colonel Khan Muhammad Khan, the martyrs of Kashmir, and peace, prosperity and development in Jammu and Kashmir.
Among the notable attendees who paid tribute to Khan Sahib were Raja Faheem Kayani, President of the All-Parties International Kashmir Coordination Committee; Chaudhry Muhammad Shakeel, President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Azad Kashmir Midland, UK; Sahibzada Farooq-ul-Qadri, Vice President of All-Parties International Kashmir Coordination Committee; Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor Kharak, Central Leader of PTI Azad Kashmir and President of the Kashmir Peace Forum Birmingham; Naib Hussain Mughal, Chairman of Noor Foundation UK and Chairman of the Kashmir Committee Pakistan People’s Party UK; Raja Yasin Khan, Leader of All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference UK; Jahanzeb Khan, Hasan Afzal Rana, a renowned academic and business personality; and religious scholar Qari Izhar Ahmed.
The grandson of Khan Sahib Mr Jehanzeb Khan, Managing Director of Sudhan Educational Conference UK extended his thanks to all the participants and speakers and said, “The impactful remembrance event demonstrated the immense respect held by the community for Baba-e-Poonch, a man whose legacy continues to inspire advocacy for education, justice, and freedom”
Report by S M Irfan Tahir Photojournalist / Member National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Great Britain.
