ON December 12th 1919 at Multan in the cortile of Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah Gillani a boy took birth namely Syed Mohammad Alamdar Hussain Gillani, at the time of birth name was Syed Abul Hassan but with the relevance to 8th of Muharram it was synchronized with the name of Alamdar Hussain Gillani, became blissful and prominent.
He received early education from Muzaffargarh and Multan, did graduation from Emerson college in 1941 and set the integral role of Gillani family in the politics of Pakistan, practically it starts when the father of former Premier of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani and Syed Ahmed Mujtaba Gillani MPA, taken part in politics during his studies and joined All Pakistan Muslim League when he was the student of FA, the house ‘Al Jeelan,’ located on Sooraj Kund Road, was the place and epicenter of politics in Multan where Notable personalities like Governor General Ghulam Muhammad, Khawaja Nazimuddin, Prime Ministers Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, Hussain Shaheed Suharwardy, I. Chundrigarh and Malik Feroz Khan Noon and other dignified people like Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar and Raja Ghazanfar Ali used to visit.
The convention of Muslim League held in1951 at ‘Al Jeelan,’ Multan, presided over by then Prime Minister of Pakistan & President of Muslim League Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, addressing to the audience attending the event, The PM took the hands of Alamdar Hussain, Walayat Hussain and Rehmat Hussain Gillani and declared loudly:-
‘They are the backbone of the Muslim League.’
Brief story of becoming the Provincial Minister, once he visited Chief Minister Punjab Feroz Khan Noon at his residence, Mr. Noon desired to suggest five names for his cabinet, proposed names were Sardar Muhammad Khan Leghari, Rana Abdul Hameed, Muzaffar Ali Qazilbash, Chaudhry Ali Akbar and Sheikh Masood Sadiq. However, when the cabinet was announced, there was an additional name and that was the Alamdar Hussain Gillani.’
In 1953, he took oath as Minister for Health and Local Bodies in the cabinet of Feroz Khan Noon. Local Bodies Ministry was essential for contact with the people and local works. As a Minister Health he established District Headquarters Hospitals in several districts, like Multan, Mianwali, Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan his other remarkable contribution is to establish the Nishtar Hospital and Medical College, Multan and also the extension of Mayo Hospital Lahore and Samli Sanatorium Murree, took place during his tenure, due to acute shortage of Doctors during those time specially in rural areas negligible health services and for immediate solution on humanitarian concern, foundation of LSMF Medical School in Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur was laid down where the students offered a three-year medical course, and upon completion of a two-year service in a rural area, the respective candidate was declared eligible for the MBBS examination.
His cousin Makhdoomzada Syed Hassan Mehmood was the Chief Minister of the State of Bahawalpur in during that era who provided necessary help for this noble cause and matured the revolutionary contribution. Gillani appointed masses under the admissible rules as a Health Minister encourage and also enabled children of poor parents to get admissions to become a Doctors to serve the humanity.
He established libraries in every district to develop the interest of people to access the books and inaugurated the huge Municipal Library in Qasim Bagh, Multan, which is a great literary treasure for the book lovers, Gillani Medical & Law college and many other institutions, he also retained the portfolio of Improvement Trust (currently Ministry of Housing) took particular interest in the development of Lahore, Gulberg and Murree now the same places turned into busy and populous localities. The first local bodies elections after the creation of Pakistan at his credit. His name is included in the world historical book ‘WHO IS WHO 1954-1955’. The former President of Pakistan Chaudhry Fazal Elahi, was the parliamentary secretary in his Ministry in 1953.
He was the active member of Pakistan Movement, Sajjada Nasheen Hazrat Musa Pak Shaheed (RA), Former Federal State & Health Minister, Government of Punjab, Signatory of Resolution of Pakistan March 23rd 1940 and Constitution of 1956. He travelled to eternal abode on 3rd Ramazan, August 09,1978.
—The writer is broadcast journalist and can be reached at [email protected]
