Career
Muhammad Zafrulla Khan was elected a member of the Punjab Legislative Council in 1926 and presided at the Delhi Meeting of the All-India Muslim League in 1931, where he advocated the cause of the Indian Muslims through his presidential address. He participated in the Round Table Conferences held from 1930 to 1932 and became the Minister of Railways in May, 1935. In 1939, he represented India in the League of Nations. He was appointed the Agent General of India in China in 1942 and represented India as the Indian Government's nominee in the Commonwealth Relations Conference in 1945, where he spoke India's cause for freedom.
From 1935 to 1941, he was member of the Executive Council of the Viceroy of India. During this period, Viceroy Lord Linlithgow, told the leaders of the Muslim League that the Government of Great Britain intended to divide India in three dominions: one for the Hindus, Muslims, and Rulers of Princely States. Within the Muslim League Working Committee, various sub-committees were established, numerous proposals were presented with the final decision resting with the British. However, when the British saw that their objectives could not be met, they unilaterally rejected all proposals submitted by the Muslims. At that point, Zafarullah Khan was asked to submit a proposal on the partition of India. On that subject, the Viceroy wrote the Secretary of State for India:
Upon my instruction Zafarullah wrote a memorandum on the subject. Two Dominion States. I have already sent it to your attention. I have also asked him for further clarification, which, he says, is forthcoming. He is anxious, however, that no one should find out that he has prepared this plan. He has, however, given me the right to do with it what I like, including sending a copy to you. Copies have been passed on to Jinnah, and, I think, to Sir Akbar Hydari. While he, Zafarullah, cannot admit its authorship, his document has been prepared for adoption by the Muslim League with a view to giving it the fullest publicity.
— Lord Linlithgow, April 12, 1940
The Viceroy further explained that since Zafarullah Khan was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, he had to be cautious. Orthodox Muslims would become irritated if they found that this proposal was prepared by an Ahmadi. The Viceroy said that Muhammad Ali Jinnah had been given a copy to gain acceptance from the Muslim League and publicize its contents. Akbar Hydari was given a copy because he was responsible for fund raising. Twelve days after it had been proposed, the Muslim League adopted the proposal at the Lahore Conference, calling it the Pakistan Resolution.
In September 1941, Zafarullah Khan was appointed Judge of the Federal Court of India which he held until June 1947. At the request of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, he represented the Muslim League in July 1947 before the Radcliffe Boundary Commission and presented the case of the Muslims in a highly commendable manner. Zafrullah Khan advised the Nawab of Junagadh that if he decided to join his state with Pakistan, it would be both moral and legal. The Nawab then proceeded to announce his decision.
In October 1947, Zafrullah represented Pakistan in United Nations General Assembly as the head of the Pakistan delegation and advocated the position of the Muslim world on the Palestinian issue. That year, he was appointed as Pakistan's 1st Foreign Minister, a post he held for 7 years. Between 1948 and 1954, he also represented Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council and where he advocated the case of liberation of the occupied Kashmir, Libya, Northern Ireland, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, and Indonesia.
As Foreign Minister, he represented Pakistan at the Manila Treaty Conference in September 1954. Support for the Manila Pact in Pakistan was divided, with the West Pakistan dominated army and a handful of leaders in favor of it, while most elected members of the Constituent Assembly from West Pakistan and all of the Assembly members from East Pakistan were opposed to it. Zafarullah signed the Manila Pact, committing Pakistan's accession to the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). In 1953 bloody Lahore riots by the religious extremists calling for Zafrullah Khan's expulsion due to his adherence to Ahmadiyya Muslim faith occurred. This caused the first martial law in the history of Pakistan. Details are recorded in the Munir Commission Report. The pressure from religious extremists finally led to Zafrullah's resignation from the post of the Foreign Minister in October 1954.
In 1954, he became a Judge of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, a position he held until 1961. He became the Vice President of the International Court of Justice from 1958 to 1961. Between 1961 and 1964, he was Pakistan's Permanent Representative at the UN while at the same time, became President of the UN General Assembly in 1962 for 2 years.
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