Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani

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Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani (1902-1981) was a Pakistani legislator and diplomat. He belonged to a very well to do family and was educated at St John's College, Cambridge. He did his Bar-at-Law in 1924 from Inner Temple, London. In 1925 he joined family business of M. M. Ispahani -and other business undertakings.

He was elected Member of the Calcutta Corporation in 1933 but resigned in 1935 and worked for the introduction of separate electorates in the Corporation. He was re-elected in 1940. He became Joint Secretary Bengal Provincial Muslim League in 1936-37 and remained its Treasurer from 1936 to 47. He was elected Deputy Mayor Calcutta Corporation from 1941 to 1942. He became Muslim League Member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1937 and re-elected in 1946. He was President Muslim Chamber of Commerce, Calcutta from 1945 to 1947 and led an Indian Trade Delegation to Middle East in 1947.

Mirza Abol Hassan remained Member All India Muslim League Working Committee till 1947. He was Member of the Committee to draw up Five Year Plan for the educational economic, social and political advancement of Muslims which was constituted at the 28th session of the All India Muslim League held in Madras in Apri1 1941. At the 29th session of Muslim League held in Allahabad in 1942 he moved the resolution which was passed, giving full powers to Muhammad Ali Jinnah 'to take every step or action as he may consider necessary in- furtherance of relating to the objects of the Muslim League as he deems proper".

He became member of the Indian Constituent Assembly in 1946 and represented Muslim League at the New York Herald Tribune Forum the same year.

After independence, he became Member Pakistan Constituent Assembly in 1947. Mr. Ispahani toured U.S.A. as Personal Representative of Quaid-e-Azam and was Ambassador to U.S.A. from September 1947 to February 1952. He was Deputy Leader of Pakistan Delegation to U.N.O. on Trade And Development in 1947. He was Vice Chairman Pakistan Delegation to U.N. Security Council on Kashmir issue and was High Commissioner to UK from 1952 to 1954. He was Federal Minister for Industries and Commerce from 1954 to 1955. He was an Ambassador to Afghanistan in 1973-74.

Ispahani died in 1981. He authored a number of books which include:

1. The case of Muslim India (1946) 2. 27 days in China (1960) 3. Leningrad to Samarkand (1962) 4. Qaid-e-Azam Jinnah, as I knew him (1967)

see also: Zaidi, Z. H., ed. M. A. Jinnah-Ispahani Correspondence, 1936-1948. Karachi: Forward publishing Trust, 1976.

During the 1990s Mirza Zia Ispahani, the youngest son, of Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani served as Pakistan Ambassador in Switzerland and Italy.