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{{short description|Pakistan movement leader (1872-1942)}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=February 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox person
|image = Abdullah Haroon.jpg
|image_size =
|alt =
| honorific-prefix = [[Sir]]
|birth_name = Abdullah Haroon ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|عبداللہ ہارون}}}})
|birth_date = {{Birth-date|1872}}
|birth_place = [[Karachi]], British India
|death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1942|4|27|1872}}
|death_place = [[Karachi]], British India
|death_cause =
|resting_place =
|resting_place_coordinates =
|other_names =
|known_for = Politics ([[Pakistan Movement]] leader), Philanthropy
|education =
|alma_mater =
|spouse = [[Lady Abdullah Haroon]]
|children = [[Yusuf Haroon]], [[Mahmoud Haroon]], and [[Zeenat Haroon Rashid]]
|parents =
|awards =
|footnotes =
}}

'''Sir Abdullah Haroon''' (1 January 1872 – 27 April 1942) ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|عبداللہ ہارون}}}}) (also spelled Seth Haji Sir Abdoola Haroon) was a British Indian [[politician]] and [[businessman]] who made major contributions towards developing and defining the role of [[Muslim]]s in economic, educational, social and political fields in the [[Indian subcontinent]].<ref name=Dawn2/>

==Early life and political career==
Abdullah Haroon was born into a [[Sindhis|Sindhi]] [[Memon people|Memon]] family in 1872 at [[Karachi]], [[British India]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Society |first=Pakistan Historical |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=33AMAQAAMAAJ&q=Abdullah+Hussain+Haroon+Sindhi |title=Journal of the Pakistan Historical Society |date=2007 |publisher=Pakistan Historical Society. |pages=110 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=88guEAAAQBAJ&q=Abdullah+Hussain+Haroon&pg=PT386 |title=The Frontier Gandhi: My Life and Struggle: The Autobiography of Abdul Ghaffar Khan |date=2021-02-01 |publisher=Roli Books Private Limited |isbn=978-81-949691-8-1 |language=en |quote=Haji Sir Abdullah Haroon was a wealthy businessman and philanthropist from belonged to the Memon trading community of Karachi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Soomro |first=Faiz Mohammad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yAwNAAAAIAAJ&q=Abdullah+Hussain+Haroon+Sindhi |title=Cultural History of Sind |date=1977 |publisher=National Book Foundation |language=en}}</ref><ref name=cybercity/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://gma.org.pk/content.php?page=3|title=History of Memons - GONDAL MEMON ASSOCIATION|website=gma.org.pk|access-date=11 January 2018|archive-date=19 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019010821/http://gma.org.pk/content.php?page=3|url-status=dead}}</ref> He lost his father at an early age of four and was raised by his grandmother who was a deeply religious lady. Early in his life, he worked as an 'assistant bicycle repairman' for 4 annas (quarter of an Indian rupee). He deeply believed in the dignity of labor. Then in 1896, at the age of 24, he started his own business as a small merchant in Karachi. He soon became very successful and was called Sindh's 'Sugar King' by his contemporaries due to his business trades in sugar.<ref name=cybercity/><ref name=Dawn2/><ref name=TFT>{{cite news | url=https://thefridaytimes.com/18-Nov-2016/sindh-s-sugar-king |title=Sindh's Sugar King |date=18 November 2016|newspaper=The Friday Times newspaper (E-Paper Archives)|access-date=24 February 2024|archive-date=24 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224192718/https://thefridaytimes.com/18-Nov-2016/sindh-s-sugar-king|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1913, he developed an interest in politics. He first became a member of the Karachi Municipality from May 1913 to September 1916. Again, he was a member of this body from 1 May 1921 to 21 August 1934.<ref name=Dawn/>

Abdullah Haroon first joined the [[Indian National Congress]] party in 1917 and started to participate in the [[Independence movement]] of India. He was elected as a member of the [[Central Legislative Assembly]] in 1924 and then re-elected twice in 1930 and 1934.<ref name=cybercity/>

Soon he was disenchanted with the policies of the [[Congress party of India]] and joined the [[All-India Muslim League]] and remained its strong supporter till his death. In 1919, he became president of the Khilafat Committee of Sindh, a branch of the larger [[Khilafat Movement]] of India under the leadership of [[Muhammad Ali Jouhar]].<ref name=cybercity/><ref name=Dawn2/><ref name=Dawn/>

He also served as president of the Sindh Provincial [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]] from 1920 to 1930.<ref name=Dawn2/>

In 1930, he attended the All-India Muslim Conference and in the same year, he formed the [[Sind United Party]] on the pattern of the [[Unionist Party (Punjab)]] which called for the separation of Sindh from the Bombay Presidency, which actually materialised in April 1936 after the enactment of the [[Government of India Act 1935|Government of India Act, 1935]]. Abdullah Haroon joined the [[All-India Muslim League]] in 1937.<ref name=Dawn/> Although his party won a plurality of seats in the 1937 provincial elections, it was not able to form the government as its leaders like Haroon and Sir [[Shah Nawaz Bhutto]] failed to be elected. He was knighted by King [[George VI]] in the 1937 Coronation Honours list and came to be known as Sir Abdullah Haroon.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34396 |supp=y|page=3077|date=11 May 1937}} (name listed as Seth Haji Abdoola Haroon)</ref>

Meanwhile the decline of the Sind United Party led him to organize the [[All India Muslim League|Muslim League]] in [[Sindh]] in 1938 and he was elected its president in 1939.<ref name=cybercity/><ref name=Dawn2/>

In October 1938, with the help of [[Shaikh Abdul Majeed Sindhi]] and Pir [[Ali Muhammad Rashidi]], he organised the First Sind Provincial Muslim League Conference in Karachi, with [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]] presiding. Participation in this conference was from all over India. Haroon headed the Reception Committee and his welcome address, which set the tone for the conference, was considered quite radical at the time. His warning was that, "We have nearly arrived at the parting of the ways and...it will be impossible to save India from being divided into Hindu India and Muslim India, both placed under separate federation". This also prepared the ground for adoption of the [[Lahore Resolution]] in March 1940. He also spoke at this historic event and endorsed the resolution.<ref name=cybercity/><ref name=Dawn/>

Abdullah Haroon also was a member of the Muslim League Working Committee that drafted and endorsed the '[[Pakistan Resolution]]' on behalf of all Muslims of Sindh at the 27th Session of the Muslim League at [[Lahore]] on 23 March 1940.<ref name=cybercity/><ref name=Dawn2>{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1478674 |author=Muhammad Ali Siddiqi|date=27 April 2019|title=The Haroon story|newspaper=Dawn newspaper|access-date=5 February 2024}}</ref>

==Death and legacy==
Abdullah Haroon died on 27 April 1942 in [[Karachi]].<ref name=Dawn2/><ref name=Dawn>{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1178378 |title= Leader with vision (Abdullah Haroon)|newspaper= Dawn newspaper|author=Sharif al Mujahid|date= 27 April 2015|access-date=5 February 2024}}</ref> He had donated ten thousand rupees to the Muslim League at [[Allahabad]] in 1942. He was a philanthropist and active in social welfare projects throughout his life and contributed to many charitable institutions. According to [[Nazaria-i-Pakistan Trust]], ..."he had given away a princely sum of Rs 88,961 to charities, which would be equivalent to about Rs 10 million today".<ref name=Dawn2/>

The [[Pakistan Post]] issued a commemorative postage stamp in his honour in its 'Pioneers of Freedom' series.<ref name=cybercity>{{cite web|url=http://www.cybercity-online.net/pof/sir_abdullah_haroon.html|url-status=dead|title=Sir Abdullah Haroon profile|website=Cybercity.net website|archive-date=19 March 2011|access-date=5 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110319172753/http://www.cybercity-online.net/pof/sir_abdullah_haroon.html}}</ref>

Abdullah Haroon was widely considered to be so honest in his conduct with people that even [[Mahatma Gandhi]]
had remarked about him, "I will trust this man with a blank cheque".<ref name=Dawn2/>

There is a major street named after him in [[Saddar]], Karachi called [[Abdullah Haroon Road]]. Its former name was Victoria Road and an official residence of [[Prime Minister of Pakistan]], [[State Guest House (Pakistan)|10 Victoria Road]], was located there.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1513262 |author=Peerzada Salman|date=28 October 2019|title=This week 50 years ago: Victoria to Abdullah Haroon Road and fair price shops|newspaper=Dawn newspaper|access-date=5 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XgJuAAAAMAAJ&q=Abdullah+Haroon |title=Pakistan (Karachi) pages 82, 123 and 124|website=Google Books website|year=1980|publisher=Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation |access-date=5 February 2024}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Pakistan Movement}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haroon, Abdullah}}
[[Category:1872 births]]
[[Category:1942 deaths]]
[[Category:All-India Muslim League politicians]]
[[Category:Leaders of the Pakistan Movement]]
[[Category:Members of the Central Legislative Assembly of India]]
[[Category:Indian Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Indian philanthropists]]
[[Category:Memon people]]
[[Category:Haroon family|Abdullah]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from British India]]

Abdullah Haroon - Revision history

Saurabhoaoindia at 00:19, 3 January 2026