In the first decade of the 20th century, present-day Chakwal city had a population of just 7,000 and one middle school.

It wasn’t until 1910 that wealthy Sikh residents laid the foundation for the Sant Singh Khalsa High School (known today as Government High School No. 1), but while the school offered education irrespective of religious affiliation, many of Chakwal’s Muslim residents felt they needed a separate school where children would receive an Islamic education.

The answer came from two men, an uncle and his nephew, who laid the foundation of Islamia Primary School in 1922.

Impressed by the teachings of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Qazi Ghulam Nabi and his nephew Qazi Ghulam Rabani donated land for the construction of a school and seminary, and hired teachers for both.

The building for the school consisted of a large hall, two verandas and four rooms – the hall was reserved as a seminary, Madressah Ishatul Aloom, which offered the popular Dars-i-Nizami curriculum.

What distinguished the institutions from other local schools was its grand building, which still stands today. When it was built a century ago, the building was one of few landmarks in Chakwal city, surrounded by vast, empty land. Today the building is overshadowed by huge commercial structures, markets and houses.

“Both these institutions not only served as leading educational institutions in the area, but they also played a pivotal role in the Pakistan Movement, as the Muslim League’s public gatherings in the Chakwal area used to be held in their premises,” said Qazi Waheed Ahmed, a descendant of the institutions’ founders.

Nabi also founded Anjuman Islamia, a patron to both the institutions for decades. His older brother, Qazi Ghulam Ahmed, was elected the first president of the Muslim League’s Chakwal chapter.

“Notable people like Maulana Zaffar Ali Khan and Attaullah Shah Bukhari were special guests at political and religious gatherings organised by Anjuman Islamia,” Mr Ahmed added.

He said Nabi opened the seminary at home, while the school operated out of their famous Qazi Khana residence in 1911. Both institutions were given a proper building in 1922.

The Khawajas of Chakwal, an industrial family that owns the Chakwal Group, also contributed to the construction of these institutions and funded them.

Islamia Primary School was upgraded to a middle school in 1947, soon after partition it was upgraded to a high school and is still known as the Government Islamia High School Chakwal.

But the impressive building appears deserted today, with barely 10 students enrolled at the school. The seminar is being run by the Khawaja family, who the Qazis handed it over to after the institution was nationalised under Bhutto government in the 1970s.

“The best use of this grand building would be handing it over to the Government Islamia School,” another descendant, Qazi Sarmad Bilal, said.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2019