Pakistani diplomat (1898–1958)
Syed Ahmed Shah (Urdu: سید احمد شاہ), commonly known as Patras Bokhari (October 1, 1898–December 5, 1958), was a Pakistani humorist, writer, broadcaster and diplomat who served as a Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations.[1][2][3]
Born in Peshawar, British India to a Kashmiri family, Shah studied at Edwardes Mission School in Peshawar and moved to Lahore where he studied English literature at the Government College. Shah moved to United Kingdom where he received his Tripos from the Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He returned to Lahore where he taught English at Government College in 1927. He became a prominent part of the Muslim intelligentsia in South Asia. Shah moved to eventually become Director General of All India Radio in Delhi and then Principal of Government College. He was appointed as the country's envoy to the UN in New York City from 1951 and 1954, followed by the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Information until 1958.[3]
Life
Patras was born in Peshawar to a Kashmiri family (which migrated from Baramulla in the 19th century).[4][5] His mother was of Hindkowan ethnicity.[6] Before settling in Peshawar, his ancestors had migrated to Kashmir from Bukhara.[6] Bokhari received his early education in the city of his birth and in 1916 moved from Islamia College, Peshawar, to attend Government College, Lahore. After completing his master's degree in English he was appointed as a lecturer at the same institution. In 1922, he took his MA in English after just one year's study and stood first, after which he was appointed lecturer. This was his creative period. His bilingual excellence is owed to his intensive translation of great books and plays from English into Urdu. He was tall and blue-eyed, had a razor-sharp mind, an equally sharp tongue, and a keenness to go forward in life. Patras' brother Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari was a noted broadcaster in Pakistan.[6]
Bokhari left Government College, Lahore in 1925 to complete a Tripos in English at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Many years later, the Bokhari English Prize was established there in his honor.[7][8] In 1927, he returned to Government College, Lahore, and as a professor remained there until 1939. Before the independence of Pakistan in 1947, he was the director general of All India Radio. Being a professor of English Literature, he also served as the principal of Government College, Lahore from 1947 to 1950. The Urdu poets Faiz Ahmed Faiz , Noon Meem Rashid and Kanhaiyalal Kapoor[9] were among his students.
He was a member of Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan's delegation during his visit to the United States in 1950. He drafted the prime minister's speeches and public pronouncements. These have been published in a volume entitled Heart of Asia. It was his close association with Liaquat Ali Khan, which culminated in his posting as Pakistan's permanent representative at the United Nations (1951-1954). From 1954 to 1958 he served as the Undersecretary of the UN, Head of Information.[3]
In New York, Bokhari lived in a small house on a small street along the East River. He used four languages at home: the local dialect, Persian, Urdu and Pashto.[10]
Background to Pen Name Patras
Ahmed Shah Bokhari first started using a pen name Peter, in respect of his teacher Peter Watkins, when he wrote in English. In his Urdu writings he used the pen name Patras.
According to Khaled Ahmed, The House of Patras which appeared in The Friday Times, Lahore, on May 13, 1999, Patras is a Persian adaptation of an Arabic rendering of 'Peter'.
An extract from Z.A. Bokhari's autobiography about the orientation of ASB's pen name is:
"My brother's full name was Pir Syed Ahmed Shah Bokhari. Our headmaster (in Peshawar) Mr. Watkins addressed him by his first name ‘Pir’ but pronounced it as ‘Pierre’ as if it was a French word. Pierre in French stands for Peter, which is Patras in Greek.... As a result of this similarity, my brother took up ‘Patras’ as his pen name".[11][3]
Contributions
His collection of essays, Patras Kay Mazameen (پطرس کے مضامین)[12] published in 1927 is said to be an asset in Urdu humor writings. It is undoubtedly one of the finest works in Urdu humor and despite the fact that it was written in first half of twentieth century, it seems to be truly applicable even today. He lived in times of personalities like Allama Iqbal and had interacted with him on several occasions and engaged him in philosophical debates. One of his debates with Iqbal led to creation of one of his poems in his book Zarb-e-Kaleem.[13][2]
Ahmed Shah Bokhari was well read in Greek philosophy. He wrote an article Ancient Greek Rulers and Their Thinking which was published in March 1919 in the Kehkashan Lahore. He was only 21 at the time.[11]
His work at the UN was truly amazing during many years of his service to this body, which was in infancy while Patras worked there. One of his major contributions was fighting the case of UNICEF during meetings which were convened to discuss its closure because apparently it had fulfilled its designated task. Patras argued successfully that UNICEF's need in developing countries is much greater than its role in European countries after second world war. His arguments persuaded even Eleanor Roosevelt to change the stance of her country, United States.[3][5]
His contributions to the UN as a leading diplomat were summed up by Ralph J. Bunche (UN Secretary General and Nobel Peace Laureate) in these words:
"Ahmed Bokhari was, in fact, a leader and a philosopher, a savant, indeed, even though not old in years, a sort of elder statesman. His true field of influence was the entire complex of the United Nations family.... He was acutely conscious of the aspirations of people throughout the world for peace, for better standards of life, for freedom and dignity, but no one was more soundly aware than he of the difficulties and obstacles to be overcome in bringing about a broad advance of humankind along these avenues."[2]
Bokhari's great work was done at the UN. He said that apart from being as great an internationalist as Dag Hammarskjold, he was the first advocate of liberation movements in colonized countries across Africa and the Middle East. That credit has been denied him by his countrymen, as they have denied it to Sir Zafralla Khan, though for different reasons.[14]
Death and legacy
In 1923, he married Zubaida Wanchoo, a Punjabi-speaking Kashmiri lady, and daughter of a superintendent of police. They had three children – two sons Mansoor and Haroon, and a daughter Roshan Ara. Roshan Ara died as a child. Patras Bokhari died on December 5, 1958, still serving as a diplomat and is buried in Valhalla Cemetery, New York.[15][3]
A major Pakistani English language newspaper comments about him, "In addition he inspired great devotion and love in his friends, companions and students."[3]
