Turkey’s Ambassador to Pakistan, İrfan Neziroğlu, paid a special visit to Haji Kala Khan, one of the last surviving individuals who personally served as a security guard for Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, at his residence in Rawalpindi.
Now about 98 years old, Haji Kala Khan was just 20 when he was assigned to security duty at the Governor General House in Karachi shortly after the creation of Pakistan. Standing nearly six feet tall, he was selected for the elite guard contingent and remains among the very few people still alive who not only saw the founding father up close but also served directly in his security team.
Khan currently lives with his son, who is in his seventies, and recently shared his memories of Quaid-e-Azam on the occasion of Jinnah’s 149th birth anniversary. He recalled Jinnah’s nightly routine at the Governor General House, where the Quaid would walk along the veranda late into the night, occasionally sitting down to rest and write notes.
He described Quaid-e-Azam as physically frail and thin but possessing a strong sense of calm, dignity, and authority. Before independence, Khan had served in government roles in Bombay and later moved to Karachi following Partition, where he was formally appointed to the Governor General’s security detail.
Despite the passage of time affecting parts of his memory, one moment remains clear in his mind. He recalled being on duty when Jinnah addressed a large crowd at a stadium in Karachi. As police attempted to manage the enthusiastic gathering, Khan remembered Jinnah intervening and urging restraint by saying, “Mat maro, mat maro,” meaning “Do not beat them.”
Throughout his later career, Haji Kala Khan also served on security assignments for prominent leaders, including Pakistan’s first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan and King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. Reflecting on his experiences, he encouraged Pakistan’s youth to follow Quaid-e-Azam’s guiding principles of unity, faith, and discipline, which he described as essential for the country’s progress.
