Fazli Husain

Who was Fazli Husain?

Sir Fazli Husain, KCSI, Kt. was a Muslim politician in Punjab in the 1920s. He is credited with having been the main engineer of the scheme to establish employment quotas for Muslims in the Indian civil service.

Husain was one of the founders of the old Punjab Unionist Party, and was opposed to Jinnah's vision of an Independent Pakistan. In fact, when he was nominated to the central government of the British Raj, he allowed a Hindu, Chaudhry Sir Chhotu Ram, to take over the leadership of the Punjab Unionist Party.

Husain was a member of the legislative assembly of Punjab prior to the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms. In 1930 he was appointed a member of the Viceroy's Council for India.

He was knighted in 1926 and appointed a KCSI in 1932. After his death, Husain's son Azim Husain wrote a biography of him. One of his daughters married Manzur Qadir.