Habib Ibrahim Rahimtoola (12 March 1912 – 2 January 1991) was a Pakistani politician, diplomat and industrialist. He served as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom between (1947–52).
[ Wife- LIFE">] Rahimtoola also served as
Governor of Sindh
The governor of Sindh is the appointed head of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. The office of the governor as the head of the province is largely a ceremonial position; the executive powers lie with the Chief Minister of Sindh, chief minister and t ...
(1953–54) and later as the
Governor of Punjab (1954). He is considered one of the
founders of Pakistan for his involvement as a leader of the
Pakistan Movement
The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the pe ...
.
Early life and political career
Rahimtoola was initially educated at
St. Xavier's School,
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
, where he also received his
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
at the affiliated
St. Xavier's College, Kolkata
St. Xavier's College is a private, Catholic, autonomous higher education college under Calcutta University run by the Calcutta Province of the Society of Jesus in Kolkata, India. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1860 and named after St. F ...
, both being in the top tier of educational institutions in Calcutta. He then received an
LL.B
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...
1935.
He entered politics at an early age and became Secretary General of the Muslim Students Union at his college between 1927 and 1931. After completing his further education Rahimtoola proceeded to business affairs. He was also a supporter of the
Muslim League Muslim League may refer to:
Political parties Subcontinent
; British India
*All-India Muslim League, Mohammed Ali Jinah, led the demand for the partition of India resulting in the creation of Pakistan.
**Punjab Muslim League, a branch of the organ ...
. He founded and was the first president of the Bombay Provincial
Muslim Chamber of Commerce (1944–47) and was also president of the Muslim Chamber of Commerce Delhi (1947–48).
Following the path to
Partition of India
The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...
, Habib Rahimtoola canvassed for the Muslim League in the
1946 elections. He was President of the Bombay Muslim League Parliamentary Board for Local Bodies from 1945 until 1947. Simultaneously he also remained President of the Bombay Muslim Students Union from 1946 to 1948.
Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...
had also nominated him to be the senior Muslim member in the Government of India's Food Delegation to the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in 1946.
By August 1947, Habib Rahimtoola was sent to receive the
Independence of Pakistan
The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the per ...
formally from the
British Government
ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd
, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
, image_size2 = 180px
, caption = Royal Arms
, date_es ...
. He also held the honor of unfurling the
Pakistan Flag
The flag of Pakistan ( ur, ) traces its current form back to a meeting of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 11 August 1947, three days before the Partition of British India, when it was adopted by the All-India Muslim League as the offic ...
abroad for the first time. Rahimtoola remained Ambassador of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
to the United Kingdom during this period from 1947 until 1952. He was the leader of Pakistani delegations including the Inter-Allied Repatriation Agency 1948,
Prime Minister's Conference London 1948,
Freedom of the Press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic News media, media, especially publication, published materials, should be conside ...
Conference 1948, International Trade and Employment Conference Geneva 1948, Commonwealth Finance Ministers Conference 1949, South East Asian Conference on
Colombo Plan
The Colombo Plan is a regional intergovernmental organization that began operations on 1 July 1951. The organization was conceived at an international conference, The Commonwealth Conference on Foreign Affairs held in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri L ...
1950,
G.A.T.T. Conference 1951 and
Commonwealth Finance Minister's Conference 1952.
In 1952 Habib Rahimtoola officially formed part of the proclamation of Queen
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
to the throne of the United Kingdom. In the same year he was appointed as Ambassador to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
where he stayed until the end of 1953. During his tenure, In 1953 he led the Pakistani Delegation to
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
.
By 1953 Rahimtoola returned to Pakistan and took over as
Governor of Sind. He held the post for just over a year until the end of 1954. In 1954 he was posted to
Punjab as Governor.
Honors
Habib Rahimtoola was Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Commonwealth Society.
He was recipient of the Melvin Jones Award from the United States.
Rahimtoola was also recipient of the First Class Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Emperor of Japan.
He founded the Photographic Society of Pakistan.
Other political offices
Apart from being the
Governor of Punjab and
Governor of Sindh
The governor of Sindh is the appointed head of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. The office of the governor as the head of the province is largely a ceremonial position; the executive powers lie with the Chief Minister of Sindh, chief minister and t ...
, he served as the
Federal Minister of Commerce and Industries of Pakistan and chairman Pakistan Red Cross. He continued in public service until his retirement in the late 1970s.
Business affairs
In the late 1950s, he entered private business by setting up an investment company called Bandenawaz (Pvt) Ltd. Habib also served as Minister in various capacities of Commerce, Industries and Petroleum. He also led the Pakistan trade delegations to the
Afro Asian Conference in Bundung 1955 and British East Africa 1956. After the declaration of martial law in 1958 under General
Ayub Khan
Ayub Khan is a compound masculine name; Ayub is the Arabic version of the name of the Biblical figure Job, while Khan or Khaan is taken from the title used first by the Mongol rulers and then, in particular, their Islamic and Persian-influenced s ...
, Habib Rahimtoola withdrew from active politics. He was though appointed as Chairman of the newly formed
Karachi Development Authority in 1958 – as a post he held until 1960.
During the 1960s, Habib Rahimtoola ventured and focused into industrial business. He was chairman of the Board of Directors of several reputable firms, namely, British Oxygen Limited, Pakistan Cables Limited,
United Bank Limited
United Bank Limited (UBL) () is a Pakistani multinational commercial bank which is a subsidiary of British company Bestway Group. It is based in Karachi, Pakistan. It is one of the largest banks in the Pakistani private sector, with over 1,400 br ...
, Brooke Bond Limited, Bandenawaz Limited, Metal Box
akistanLimited, Aspro Nicholas Pakistan Limited, Chambon Pakistan Limited, Organon Pakistan Limited, and Coates Brothers Pakistan Limited.
Following the separation of East Pakistan in 1971, Habib Rahimtoola's business interests suffered a major setback. He however continued his support for Pakistan serving as Chair of the Pakistan Red Cross on the insistence of then President Yahya Khan, followed by the tenure of Zulfiqar Ali Buutto. Rahimtoola was awarded the Pakistan Movement Gold Medal by Prime Minister Junejo in 1987.
He also served on the boards of various multinational and national companies in Pakistan as either a director or chairman, including United Bank Ltd, Eastern Federal Insurance,
Brooke Bond
Brooke Bond is a brand of tea owned by Ekaterra, formerly an independent tea-trading and manufacturing company in the United Kingdom, known for its PG Tips brand and its Brooke Bond tea cards.
History
Brooke Bond & Company was founded by Ar ...
, Pakistan Oxygen (now BOC Pakistan), Aspro-Nicholas (now
Reckitt Benckiser
Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, trading as Reckitt, is a British multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Slough, England. It is a producer of health, hygiene and nutrition products. The company was formed in March 1999 by the merg ...
), Organon Pakistan (part of
AkzoNobel
Akzo Nobel N.V., stylized as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational company which creates paints and performance coatings for both industry and consumers worldwide. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, ...
) and Pakistan Cables (BICC).
Accolade
The road connecting Shahr-e-Faisal to the National Stadium in Karachi is named 'Habib Rahimtoola Road' in lieu of his services as founding Chairman of the Karachi Development Authority
In 2002 the Pakistan Post issued commemorative stamps of Habib Rahimtoola on occasion of the 55th Independence Day Celebrations
Personal life
Habib Rahimtoola's father Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola was a noted Indian Politician who remained Mayor of Bombay city and served as President of the Central Legislative Assembly.
His uncle Jaffer Rahimtoola and cousin Hoosenally Rahimtoola both served as active Bombay Legislators and remained Mayors accordingly.
His brother Fazal Rahimtoola remained an active Politician before and after partition of the Indian sub-continent.
Habib married Zubeida Sultan Chinoy in 1936. The couple had two sons and one daughter from their union.
Death
Habib Rahimtoola died on 2 January 1991 whilst resident in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. His obituary was published in the United Kingdom in connection with the relationships he had established and nurtured over a lifetime.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rahimtoola, Habib Ibrahim
1991 deaths
1912 births
Pakistani people of Gujarati descent
High Commissioners of Pakistan to the United Kingdom
Ambassadors of Pakistan to France
Governors of Punjab, Pakistan
Governors of Sindh
Indian Ismailis
Pakistani Ismailis