Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour attributes family’s migration to post-Partition political circumstances
PESHAWAR: Veteran Awami National Party (ANP) leader Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour has recounted in his memoir that the father of Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan left Pakistan in 1948 after allegedly becoming a target of political victimisation during the early years following Partition.
According to Bilour’s account in his book, Shah Rukh Khan’s father was closely acquainted with Bilour’s father, and the two families shared a longstanding relationship in Peshawar before the migration.
Bilour writes that the political environment of the period influenced the family’s decision to leave Pakistan. He attributes the circumstances to the tenure of Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan, who served as the Chief Minister of the then North-West Frontier Province.
Memoir presents personal account
The account is presented as Bilour’s personal recollection and interpretation of historical events. According to the memoir, Shah Rukh Khan’s father was allegedly affected by political developments of the time, which ultimately led to his departure from Pakistan in 1948.
The book describes the close relationship between Bilour’s father and Shah Rukh Khan’s father, portraying it as part of the broader social and political landscape that existed in Peshawar during the years immediately after the creation of Pakistan.
Historical claim remains part of memoir
The claims originate from Bilour’s published memoir and reflect his account of the events. The article does not provide independent documentary evidence supporting the allegations, nor does it include responses from historians or other sources regarding the assertions.
Shah Rukh Khan has previously spoken publicly about his family’s roots in Peshawar and his father’s migration to India following Partition. However, the specific circumstances described by Bilour remain part of his personal narrative.
The account adds another perspective to discussions surrounding the experiences of families affected by the political upheaval that followed the Partition of British India in 1947, a period that prompted large-scale migration and reshaped countless lives across the region.
Father of Shah Rukh Khan became a victime of political vengeance by the CM Khan Qayyum and that’s why he left Pakistan in 1948. ANP leader Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour’s father was very close to Shah Rukh’s father. Haji Bilour narrated this story in his book. https://t.co/jt4te0WV6R
— Hamid Mir حامد میر (@HamidMirPAK) July 27, 2026
