KHALIQDINA HALL

The Khaliqdina Hall and Library was the first building built by local Muslim philanthropists for the literary and recreational pursuits of the native population. It was built in 1906, at a cost of Rs. 33,000. A generous donation of Rs. 18,000 was made by Ghulam Hussain Khaliqdina, for which the hall was immortalized with his name. The rest of the funding was provided by the Karachi Municipal Corporation. The Khaliqdina Hall housed the Native General Library and a meeting hall, and was located in Runchore Lines, close to the Old Town Quarter, to facilitate easy access by the residents of the area.

The architecture employed was predominantly palladian in style, choosing elements to convey an instant sense of grandeur. The entrance is reached through an Ionic portico set over a high podium, and is topped by an overbearing triangular pediment proudly displaying the name and construction date of the building. The meeting hall on the inside is 95 ft in length and 45 ft wide and is capable of seating from 600 to 700 persons. A ten foot verandah runs around the sides of the hall.

The Khaliqdina Hall assumed historical significance and became known throughout the subcontinent when it was chosen as the venue for the trial of Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar, leader of the Khilafat Movement. On July 8 - 10, 1921, the Khilafat Conference, held in Karachi, passed a resolution declaring it "unlawful for any faithful to serve from today in the [British] army or help or acquiesce in their recruitment" and stated that "if the British Government directly or indirectly, openly or secretly, fights the Angora Government (the Turkish National Government), the Muslims of India will start civil disobedience". The Jauhar brothers, Maulana Mohammad Ali and Maulana Shaukat Ali, made fiery and impassioned speeches in connection with the Khilafat conference, which led to their being arrested and charged with incitement against the British Government. The trial of Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar, in which he defended himself, was held in the Khaliqdina Hall and became known as the 'Trial of Sedition'. This building consequently became the symbol of the Muslim struggle during the Khilafat Movement and the movement for independence.

Presently, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation has completed renovation work on the Khaliqdina Hall with an estimated cost of Rs. 13.6 million. The building is now fully renovated and pending a reopening for the public.