Brief histories of the first clubs of each geographic region

Rotary Club of Lahore, First club of Pakistan

Rotary International District 3270

Chartered 7 December 1927

Part of our History of Rotary in Asia Section

Rotary Club of Lahore is the 2^nd oldest club in the Asian sub-continent and when Pakistan appeared on the map of the world, it became the Number One club of Pakistan. The Club is proud of its first generation Rotarians – late Justice Jamil Hussain Rizvi, late Basir Ali Shaikh, late M. Abdullah Chaudry, late M. Rafique Qureshi, Mian Ajmal Wahid, Sh. Khalil Haider, and M. Siddiq Chaudry whose second and third generation have become passionate Rotarians of the Club. The club also takes pride in having its own Rotary building named Rotary Medical & Community Centre. The Club has the rare distinction of enjoying two singular honours of being the only Club in District 3270, one, of having been addressed by Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and two, having got the square adjacent to its building named as ‘Rotary Square’ by the Town Council of Lahore.  

      The Rotary Movement reached the Asian sub-continent when the first meeting of the Rotary Club of Calcutta (India) now called the "Old Number One" was held on 26^th September, 1919. After 8 years, due to one of its member’s personal efforts, Rtn. J. f. Michell, the RC of Calcutta sponsored the second Rotary Club of India at Lahore named RC of Lahore of the province of the Punjab (India).  Its founder President J. H. Adam and Charter Secretary C. Grey submitted their application for membership to the RI on 21^st February, 1927 with 26 charter members. There were two Muslims, two Hindus, one Parse, three Englishmen Colonels (one from Royal Engineers), and 18 Englishmen Government service. The Club received its charter on the 7^th December 1927. Its territorial limit at that time was the ancient Lahore and the venue of its meetings was the famous Flattis Hotel, Lahore. In matter of a few years the Club attained so much prominence in mitigation of human problems that the Muslim leader of the time Barrister Mohammad Ali Jinnah (later founder of Independent State of Pakistan) had chosen to address this Club in March, 1936. In December 1944, the Club members elected Rtn. Bashir Ahmad Khan as the President for the year 1946-47 and he incidentally was the first Muslim to be elected as Club President.     

      In 1947, when India was partitioned and Independent State of Pakistan consisting of two wings called East Pakistan and West Pakistan was created, Rotary Club of Lahore became the second oldest Club in the Indo-Pak sub-continent and the ‘Number One’ RC of Pakistan. The partition of India had no effect on its affiliation and it remained part of RI District 88. PP (1946-47) Bashir Ahmad Khan continuing for the second successive year became the first Pakistani President of the Club. The Club received another honour when its member PP (1945-1946) Dr. Dev Raj Narang was elected as the DG of the RI District 88 for the Rotary year 1947-48. To commemorate its 25 years (1927-1952) in Rotary service, the Club celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 1952 in grand style under the aegis of its President (1951-1952) Dr. H. M. Selzer, GM Bata Shoes, Batapur Lahore.  

      In 1957-1958, the Club was made part of the RI District 310, which was created during the World War II in 1944. The District comprised the areas from Kabul (Afghanistan) to Kanpur (India) having about 80 clubs and Club’s territorial limits were extended to the triangle bounded by Peshawar - Multan - Luckhnow. In December, 1959 the Club was assigned the responsibility of hosting the District Conference which was attended by Rotarians from India who were exempted from the visa formalities. The Conference was managed by the Club President and DGE Justice Jamil Hussain Rizvi. One of the highlights of the Conference was the Conference banquet, a sitting dinner for 1100 delegates, arranged by Basir Ali Shaikh, Chairman Banquet Committee in the Punjab University Hall. His Excellency FM Muhammad Ayub Khan, President of Pakistan was the Guest of Honour at the dinner and other distinguished guest included the Governor of West Pakistan, Malik Amir Muhammad Khan, Nawab of Kala Bagh. In 1960, DG of District 310 Justice Jamil Hussain Rizvi led a delegation of Rotarians to Amritsar where a civic reception was arranged by Governor of Punjab (India) in honour of Governor of West Pakistan, Malik Amir Muhammad Khan. In 1965, another member of our Club, PP (1960-61) Ahmad Hassan Khokhar became the DG of District 310. 

In July 1968, the District 310 was re-structured by RI to include whole of Pakistan (both East and West wings) in RI District 307. The same year the Club sponsored formulation of RC of Kabul, Afghanistan under the leadership of President Basir Ali Shaikh. The other feature of the year was establishment of a Rotaract Club with 15 charter members in August 1968. Capt. (R) Dr. Wajid Baseer Shaikh was the chartered President who later became Rotarian by joining the RC of Lahore and is currently on the membership of the Club. PDG Tariq Akhtar Allawala was the product of this Rotaract Club and was its President in 1977-7. But in eighties the Rotaract Club ceased to exist. In 1969, our Club sponsored the Rotary Club of Lahore Sharqi (East). Thereafter, our Club’s locality consisted of District Lahore (minus Lahore Cantonment, Gulberg and Model Town), and part of District Sheikhupura (Shahdara). In 1970, Rtn. Talib Haider Rizvi led a delegation of 48 Club members that travelled to Afghanistan in hired buses to attend the charter night celebrations of RC of Kabul, Afghanistan. In 1971 one of our distinguished Rotarian, a powerful attorney, PP (1961-1962) Mahmud Ali Kasuri became DGE (1971-72). He was made Federal Minister the same year so due to his professional pre-occupations he had to resign from the DG’s responsibility. 

On completion of 50 years service in Rotary, Golden Jubilee was organized in 1978 under the aegis of President (1977-1978) Mian Mazhar-ul-Haque. To commemorate this honour Club members conceived to build a Rotary Medical & Community Centre (RM & CC) of its own. The stupendous efforts of 4 years put in by a team led by PP (1966-67) Capt. (Retd.) Kabir A. Sheikh assisted by PP (1978-79-80) A. K. Butt, Dr. G. M. Kullo and PP (1983-84) Siddiq Chaudry yielded in 1984 into today’s large and commodious building, which is a lasting monument that serves the Rotary’s Ideals of Service. The RM & CC houses Dental Clinic, Mother & Child Clinic, Ghosha-i-Khidmat Primary School, Rotary Post Office, and Punjab Bank serving the local community of New Muslim Town. In 1980, PP Capt. (Rtd.) Kabir A. Sheikh became the DG District 327.  In 1981, a committed Rotarian of this Club, Talib Haider Rizvi (now a PDG), was nominated as the leader of the Pakistani delegation of Rotarians to attend Goodwill and Peace Summit at New Delhi, India. In 1983-84, after 56 years the Club shifted its venue of holding meetings from Flattis to Hilton Hotel now days called Avari. In 1991 President Muhammad Afzal moved the venue of meetings permanently to Club’s present location, RM & CC. In 1998, the Club attained the distinction of having three PDGs on its rolls namely, Mian Fazl-i-Ahmed, Capt. (Retd.) Kabir A. Sheikh and A. Q. Alavi. In 1999, Club Secretary, Col (R) Sajid Baseer Shaikh framed the Club Constitution & Bye-Laws after a lapse of 25 years. These are now yearly updated by him.  

In 2001, Dr. Samar Mubarakmand, the world-renowned nuclear scientist and Chairman National Engineering & Scientific Commission of Pakistan accepted the Honorary Membership of the Club when he was the Guest of Honour on the Club Installation Ceremony on 3^rd July, 2001. On 1^st July, 2003 PP (2001-2002) Col (R) Sajid Baseer Shaikh became the first member of the Club to be nominated as the Assistant Governor of the District 3270. In late 2003 the Club opened its membership to ladies and Rotary Ann Durr-e-Shawar became the first female member of the Club. She was followed by another five Rotary Anne / Inner Wheel members to become Rotarians of the Club. On 7^th December 2002 the Club completed 75 years of service in Rotary but it had to postpone its Celebrations due to RM & CC being under renovations. The Platinum Jubilee Celebrations were held on 17^th April, 2004 at Avari Hotel under the aegis of President (1981-82, 2003-04) Sh. Khalil Haider. The Guest of Honour was Sh. Rashid Ahmed, Federal Minister for Information. Among the Rotary dignitaries was RI Director Sushil Gupta who attended the function on the special invitation of the Club. On this vary occasion the history book of the Club, ‘Fond Memories – 75 years in service (1727-2003)’, written by AG Col (R) Sajid Baseer Shaikh. This book is first ever written for a Rotary Club in District 3270.

In 2004, the Centennial Bell Celebrations of the District 3270 were assigned by DG Abdul Rauf Rohaila to the RC of Lahore being the Number One Club in Pakistan. The Bell Celebration function was held at PC Lahore on 28^th August, 2004 and the honour of organizing it again to the third time President (2004-05) Sh. Khalil Haider. The function was graced by Ch. Muhammad Iqbal, Food Minister Punjab. The same year with the efforts of Rotary Ann Thrity Hormasji and Club member Rtn. Nusrat Iqbal the first Interact Club of Lahore was established with the students of SOS Village. In April, 2007, the Club re-established the Rotaract Club of Lahore with the sole efforts of Rtn. M. Siddiq Chaudry. The Club Charter received from RI was presented on 13^th May, 2007 to its Charter President Miss Muneeza Mirza by PDG A. Q. Alavi who represented DG Shakil Hasan Ansari as the Guest of Honour.    Club Members with RI President 2007-08 Wilf Wilkinson and his spouse Mrs. Joan         For the first  time the Club has all the organs of  flanked by DG,IPDG, DGN and their spouses Partners- -in-Service  i. e. Inner Wheel Club, Interact Club, Rotaract Club, and RCC (Tehsil Ferozwala, District Sheikhupura / previously part of Shahdra). With the dawn of New Rotary year2007-08 the Club will have another feather in their cap as it will be led for the first time by a female Rotarian President Durr-e-Shawar.

The Club has also been participating in TRF programmes like GSE, exchange visits, matching grants (Shalimar Hospital runs ambulance service for emergencies on regular basis provided by the Club), peace scholars (Maria Affandi is the current beneficiary), and giving to RI. The Club has contributed to TRF in the recent times US$24,467. The Club has 20 PHFs (two are PHF+), one Benefactor, and 18 RFSMs. From 1927 onwards the Club members have tried to live upto the Ideals of Rotary and have kept the torch of service lighted by mitigating the humanitarian needs of ever-growing ancient city of Lahore. The Club has built rich history of accomplished-service-oriented projects since its members have never lagged behind in service to the community may it be floods, earthquakes or any other natural calamity, the re-building of war devastated villages; provision of water storage tanks in Thar desert and hand-pumps in villages; medicines, medical equipment and appliances to hospitals; sharing festivities with blinds, mentally retarded, handicapped and orphans and funding their institutions; helping children with gratis heart surgeries in USA, India and Pakistan (Nauman, Tahir, Ayesha, Rehman, and Kazim), getting adults with disabilities treated and fixed with artificial limbs or providing them wheel chairs; helping students in continuation of their studies by providing them with scholarships and provision of books; holding anti-smoking campaigns, organizing medical, dental  and eye camps; running literacy and vocational centre; rehabilitating the destitute and failed persons in life by providing jobs or setting for them small business set-ups; observing the Preservation of Planet Earth and vigorously participating in Polio Plus eradication programmes. For the selfless and voluntary services rendered in the last 80 years Club and its members have been duly recognised by the District and RI and has achieved number of awards.

In 1982, DG Capt. (R) Kabir A. Sheikh became the first and so far the last to have received the “Meritorious Service” Award and in 1983 for his monumental efforts to build RM & CC the Club was awarded the “Significant Achievement” Award. Twenty-four years later on 18^th February, 2007 the Club achieved the highest honour of RI when its member, PAG Col (R) Sajid Baseer Shaikh was decorated with “Service above Self” Award in a glittering ceremony by RIPR and RIPE Wilf Wilkinson and thus the first and the only recipient to-date. The credit for these awards mainly goes to the members of the Club with whose support and cooperation it has been possible to achieve such prestigious honours of RI. The glorious history of the Club will continue inspiring the new Rotarians who with vigour, zeal, and commitment shall keep the flag of the Club fluttering high and keep serving the destitute, down trodden, and have-not communities of the RI District 3270. 

By PAG Col (R) Sajid Baseer Shaikh, PHF

Club Historian

Submitted 10 July 2007 by RGHF board member Abbas Lavingia