Some experts believe that a child's experiences in the family are crucial for personality development. Some authorities emphasise the role of social and cultural traditions in personality development. But in my opinion the above mentioned segments play vital role together for personality development.
Iftekhar Ahmed Khan (Adani) is an undeniable example of this fact. His family background and social, cultural, political, religious as well as educational environments have played a very significant part in making his personality different from general people.
What is personality? I think personality usually refers to something which is unique about a man, the characteristics that distinguish him from others. Keeping in view this phenomenon Iftekhar Ahmed Khan - a blue blood of prestigious Nawab family of Meerut, was in fact a unique personage in view of his character, activities, behaviour, way of thinking, momentous life as well as the characteristics that distinguish him from others.
A highly educated figure, Iftekhar Ahmed Khan was born in Meerut on 27 April, 1921. He was the son of Nawab Ismail Khan and grandson of Nawab Muhammed Ishaque Khan. Muhammed Ishaque Khan's father was the prominent poet Nawab Mustafa Khan Shefta and famous disciple of Mirza Ghalib.
The father of Iftekhar Ahmed Khan was also a highly qualified man and got education in Aligarh. He went to Cambridge for higher education where he became barrister. He returned to India from Cambridge after ten years and took part in politics. He was the chief organiser of Khelafat Conference. Nawab Ismail Khan also worked for Muslim League and became one of the closest allies of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammed Ali Jinnah.
Iftekhar Ahmed Khan got primary education in Meerut. He passed matriculation and intermediate examinations from Faiz-e-Aam Inter College. Completed graduation in 1942 from Aligarh Muslim University. He did M.A. in Persian in 1944. He migrated to Pakistan in 1948. He passed CSP examination in 1950.
He was first appointed as Assistant Commissioner Rawalpindi. He also remained SDM of Sukkur and Mianwali. He worked as Political Under Secretary in the office of Chief Secretary Punjab. In 1956 he was appointed Deputy Commissioner of Dera Ghazi Khan. He remained therefor about three years. During this period his literary activities were in full swim. He had arranged there a Pak-India Mushaira also. After three years he was transferred to Lahore again where he was given the charge of Additional Settlement Commissioner.
During this period he did memorable work for the rehabilitation of Muhajirs. He also did a fine job as the chief of NIPA. He was also one of the founders of Pakistan Writers Co-operative Society of Lahore. He worked as Deputy Secretary of Finance Department from 1961-62. Iftekhar Ahmed Khan was also appointed as Joint Registrar of Co-operative Societies. He also remained Director of Ghulam Muhammed Barrage for one year. He also remained connected with the Planning Commission as Deputy Secretary Administration.
There is a long list of his responsibilities and services, which he honestly performed and created a niche of his own in the field of bureaucracy. He, in the true sense, was a sincere and active well-wisher of Pakistani nation. He retired from his government service's in 1986.
No doubt he was a bureaucrat, but in view of his behaviour he never posed himself as an important man in the bureaucracy. As a man he was polite, well behaved as well as of soft temperament. Iftekhar Ahmed Khan was actually a symbol of love and an example of hard work. He was basically a Sufi and passed very simple life. Spiritually, he was a very strong man as well as great admirer of saints and Sufis. He was connected with Silsila-e-Qadria, Chishtia, Sabiria, Tajia and Awaisia. He was a true follower of Hazrat Baba Tajuddin of Nagpur, Hazrat Abu Anees Muhammed Barkat Ali of Darul Aman, Faisalabad and Hazrat Peer Khawaja Allah Bakhsh Saheb Qadri Naqshbandi.
He was also a scholar of high calibre having authority on various subjects such as theology, literature, philosophy, fine art, music, architecture and science. He had extraordinary ability in English, Urdu, Persian as well as Arabic.
His scholarly involvement in the field of literature, culture, civilisation, history, art and education are remarkable. His work in literature is precious and exemplary. He was an authentic translator of Mirza Ghalib's Persian works. Iftekhar Ahmed Khan was also considered as one of the experts on Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib.
Dr Farman Fatahpuri, Professor Afaq Siddiqi, Akhter Hamid Khan, Noor Ahmed Merathi, Amjad Islam Amjad, Ahmed Hamdani, Professor Saher Ansari, Muhammed Javed and many other writers and critics applauded Iftekhar Ahmed Khan's personality, precious literary works, national and social services.
He started his literary life in 1948 by writing an essay "Geer-o-Daar" which was published in the prominent literary journal "Adab-e-Lateef" Lahore in 1948. Wrote memoirs continuously for three years in the famous literary magazine "Qaumi Zaban" of Anjuman Tarraqi Urdu Pakistan. His first book was published under the title of "Ek Mahshar-e-Khayal" in 1987. This book consists of pen-sketches-cum-memoirs, which he wrote on renowned literary personages such as Zoe Ansari, Josh Malihabadi, Jigar Muradabadi, Baba Zaheen Shah Taji, Akhter Hameed Khan, Allama Mashriqi, Fazal Ahmed Karim Fazli, Masood Malang Khadder Posh and many others.
This book consists of 224 pages. Though he was a well mannered and man of soft temperament, but in portraying the personages he remained straight forward and always wrote facts. He, in his pen sketches its, tried to give his true experiences about the persons. The style of expression is magnificent. Sometimes in some places he has applied satiric style too. His all pen sketches/memoirs are informative, having account of social and political scenarios of the age of the masters.
In these memoirs/pen-sketches Iftekhar Ahmed Khan has given a lot of precious information about famous people and their social, literary and educational activities. He wrote about personalities like Akhter Hameed Khan, Baba Zaheen Shah Taji, Masood Malang, Josh Malihabadi and Zoe Ansari devotedly. His analytical approach in his sketches is remarkable and praiseworthy.
"Ghalib Shanasi Kay Karishmain" is his second book which came out in 1995. This book consists of analytical essays which have been written on Mirza Ghalib. He surprisingly depicted some unique angles of Ghalib's poetic efforts, which were never pointed out before by any critic and analysts.
The "Anthology of Ghalib's selected ghazals with Urdu translation" is his third publication. In this book Ghalib's Persian ghazal were translated by Iftekhar Ahmed Khan in to Urdu and Ralph Russell in English. The selection and translation by him in Urdu is amazingly impressive. Ralph Russell's translation efforts are also good. His fourth book is "Naqshai Ranga Rang." This book - the light of day after his death. He died on October 9, 2005.