Name Allah Gabol Died December 1972 | ||
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Education Aligarh Muslim University | ||
Khan Bahadur Allah Bakhsh Gabol (Urdu: خان بهادرالله بخش گبول ) (15 August 1895 – December 1972) was a political leader of the 20th century and an exponent of the Pakistan Movement from Sindh [1]. He owned a considerable portion of land in Karachi, including the area of Lea Market and the stretch of land where Safoora Goth, Abdullah Gabol Goth, Chutta Khan Goth and Gadap now exist. He also possessed the land where Gabol Town and Jinnah International Airport are now located. Allah Bakhsh Gabol was the son of a landlord Khudadad Khan Gabol, and the grandfather of Nabil Gabol[2].
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Political life
Gabol was the first Deputy Speaker of the Sindh Assembly, after the imposition of Government of India Act 1935 [3]. He defeated Haji Sir Abdullah Haroon in 1937 in the first election after Sindh was separated from Bombay. He was also twice elected the Mayor of the then Karachi Municipal Corporation in 1953 and 1962. It is now the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. [4]. Due to his outstanding status, he was awarded the title of Khan Bahadur by the British Empire and after the independence of Pakistan in 1947, he was awarded the Sitara i Imtiaz by President Ayub Khan in 1966. Thus he was considered to be an influential politician of Karachi of his times.
Aside from these, he had held several honorary positions such as Trustee of Karachi Port, Honorary Secretary and Treasurer of Civil Hospital Karachi, Advisor to the Government of Pakistan during the 1950s, Vice President of Sindh Madrassah and S. M College, President of Karachi Race Club, and Honorary First Class Magistrate with summary powers.
His son Abdul Sattar Gabol and grandson Sardar Nabil Ahmed Gabol have carried on his legacy.
Social work
Gabol donated land to the poor, especially to the Baloch of Karachi and Sindh. There are still many schools and cultural centres in his name that exist today, including the Gabol Football Park.
Baloch League
Karachi is not only the cradle of the modern Balochi literary movement, but also the centre to uphold the modern Baloch political trends. Simultaneous with formation of the Anjuman, the Baloch literary class in Karachi formed a nationalist organisation, called the Baloch League. Gholam Mohammad Noor ud-Din, educated from Bombay, was appointed as its president. The other members of its leadership were: Waja Omar Bakhsh Sabera, a famous merchant, Maolavi Mohammad Osman, Mehrab Khan, Issa Khan, Maolavi Abdul Samad Sarbazi, Khan Sahib Osman, Pir Bakhsh Shahdad and Gabol. In its annual conference in 1930 the League condemned Magasi's imprisonment and openly demanded his immediate release from the British authorities. In the late 1930s, after his graduation from Aligarh University, the nationalist leader, Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo also joined the League.