| Malik Barkat Ali ملک برکت علی | |
| Birth Name: | Malik Barkat Ali |
| Birth Date: | April 1, 1885 |
| Birth Place: | Lahore, Punjab, British India |
| Death Place: | Lahore, Punjab, British India |
| Occupation: | Politician Lawyer Journalist |
| Known For: | Pakistan Movement activist |
Malik Barkat Ali (1 April 1886 – 5 April 1946) was an Indian Muslim politician, lawyer and journalist.[1]
Malik Barkat Ali was born on 1 April 1885 in Lahore, Punjab, British India, into a middle-class Pashtun-Kakazai family.[2] Following his early education at a local high school located at the Delhi Gate, he won a scholarship to the famous Forman Christian College, in Lahore.[3] He secured the first position in Physics for the BA examination but for his MSc degree he chose another subject, English.
After graduating from FC Lahore he remained an Assistant Professor in English at this college from 1905 to 1907 and then chose Law, passing the LLB examination before being selected as a Junior Magistrate in the Punjab Service in 1908, working there until 1914, when he resigned because he had developed differences on principles with the authorities there.
He practiced law full-time afterwards[4] and also edited The Observer, an English daily newspaper from 1914 - 1918. This position of newspaper editor gained him prominence in Punjab politics.[3] [1]
Malik Barkat Ali joined the Punjab Provincial Muslim League in 1916, and was inspired by the Muslim nationalist ideas of Allama Muhammad Iqbal. For many years, he remained a staunch member of the League.[5] He was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly in 1937 for the Muslim League and alone represented the League in opposing the Unionist Party (Punjab) for 7 years in the assembly.[6] [1]
In March 1940, the now famous Lahore Resolution for the creation of Pakistan was approved under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Malik Barkat Ali also participated in that process as a member of All India Muslim League's Working Committee.
In his later years, however, he was very impressed by Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari and he thus underwent a considerable change in his ideas, and joined the All India Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam.[7] Barkat Ali also served as a secretary of the Anjuman-e-Himayat-e-Islam for some time.
In 1929, when Bhagat Singh was tried in Lahore, Allama Iqbal, Malik Barkat Ali, Nanka Chand and Norang jointly moved a resolution in the Lahore High Court's Bar condemning this trial. Malik Barkat Ali was a vigorous supporter of Allama Iqbal until Iqbal's death in 1938.
Malik Barkat Ali died on 5 April 1946, at Lahore while addressing a special tribunal in the Burma Fraud Case.[8] [9]
Ahad Malik, one of his nephews, became MPA 2002-2007 in Punjab Assembly, Pakistan. His other nephew, Akhter Malik, became MNA in National Assembly of Pakistan.
At a Special Session of the Muslim League held in 1946, the Quaid-i-Azam paid tribute to Malik Barkat Ali by saying:
In 1990, Pakistan Post Office issued a commemorative postage stamp in his honour in its 'Pioneers of Freedom' series.[4]