Mohammad Azam Khan

Mohammad Azam Khan was born into a farming family in a remote village of Umarzai in the north west region of Pakistan on 1 October 1935. His early years were a time of great turmoil as the movement for the creation of Pakistan and independence of India from British rule was gaining significant momentum and the second world war was looming on the horizon.

Azam pursued his primary education in a school located at a distance of about 10 miles from his home, necessitating a daily bike ride and having to wade through a river without a bridge holding his bike above the water. He won a scholarship and passed middle school. He came first in his school in his Matric (O level) examination. He then won another scholarship, and passed his FSc (A level) examination with merit. As a teenager, he was a keen sportsman, excelling in football, cricket, and wrestling, also with a broad spectrum of …