Shakargarh is a land that has produced many intellectuals who played important role on national level. One of these intellectuals is Choudhary Anwar Aziz who is thought to be father of politics in Shakargarh and has the credit to launch many politicians in this field. Anwar Aziz was born in 1931 and belongs to Gujjar family of Shakargarh. His father’s name was Choudhary Abdul Aziz who was MBBS doctor . His son Daniyal Aziz has been Chairman NRB and sitting MNA from Choudhary’s constituancy NA-116. After getting education from Shakargarh, Choudhary Anwar Aziz moved to Govt College Lahore where he was groomed by the teachers like Pitras Bukhari, Dr. Nazir and Sufi Tabassam. Anwar Aziz has the honor to live in the very hostel room in GC Lahore where Allama Iqbal stayed. His life-long friends from iqbal hostel include late Major General Imtiaz, Abid Ali Shah who has the honor to introduce Muhammad Rafi to Bombay, scholar Dr Anwar Syed, “Defender of Lahore” Shafqat Baloch who as major dettered two indian divisions in 1965 war.
Choudhary Anwar represented Pakistan in 1948 Olympics as a swimmer. Anwar’s friends Shoaib and Saleema Hashmi make fun of him in these words “The Bronze goes to English, Sliver to Canda, gold to Australia and Pakistan’s Choudhary Anwar Aziz still swimming”. In response Anwar Aziz curses Shoaib affectionately. Choudhary Anwar’s life is full of zest. He lived a wholesome life at its full swing. Choudhary’s personality has many aspects like his modest demeanor, rapt attention that makes him affable to everyone who meets him.
In 1950s he went to Michigan University in USA on Fulbright Scholarship where he met Khathleen and married her. Later he became District Attorney of California. At the climax of his life in USA, he returned back to his village in Shakargarh with his wife Kathleen , also called Kathy Aunty by everyone. The Shakargarians loved finding this couple among them. They expressed their love for Choudhary by voting him time and again. Choudhary perhaps the only member of 1964 assembly winning despite the opposition of Nawab of Kala Bagh. He became federal minister in the cabinets of Zulifqar Ali Bhutto and Muhammad Khan Junejo. He gave surprise to Zia Ul Haq by defeating Khawaja Safdar, his candidate for speakership in 1985 assembly.
The list of his literary credentials is also long enough. He was the host when Sufi Tubassam introduced Mustafa Zaidi as Tegh Allahabadi. Jalib considered Choudhary’s house as his second home. He was also close to firebrand orators like Abdullah Butt and Shorish Kashmiri, writer Abdullah Malik, painter Sadeqain, Punjabi poet Imam Din Gujrati and Sharif Kunjahi. He discussed political theory with scholar Samual Huntington. A generation of journalists like Shaheen Sehbai, Muhammad Malik, Zafar Abbas, Munoo Bhai, Nazir Naji and Nusrat Javed are convinced by Choudhary’s political wisdom and leant different aspects of politics from him. He is equally sought by younger journalists like Rauf Clasra, Arshad Sharif and Asma Shirazi.
Choudhary Anwar Aziz is loved and respected for his courteous attitude towards common man. He is constantly thinking about what he can do for poor and needy. Anybody who ever met will have a story to tell. He poineered milk pasteurization by introducing Tetrapack in Pakistans as Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s advisor on Livestock. His friends sometimes laugh about his passion but he keeps on doing something for common man. He tried to improve the economy of common man by distributing Angora rabbits known for their long and soft wool. He initiated schemes to promot cows, goats and vegetables. He distributed newly arrived Broiler chickens among his people hoping they will return eggs to start a chain for boosting economy and poultry. Some returned but most did not. But this did not stop him from distributing sacks full of new seeds for free. Many of his schemes may not have worked but this has not dettered him from doing for common people.
Late Syed Abbas Ather wrote a column about him starting with these words “Shakargarh, Shakargarh, Shakargarh __ i am sick of hearing this from Choudhary Anwar Aziz all my life.” Whenever his friends asked him ” From where you draw your energy, he replied, from poor people in Shakargarh.”
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