His death is the end of a remarkable era in Pakistani and Kashmiri Community history in Nottingham A tribute by Akhtar Hussain (English Editor Safeer International.) One day in the autumn of 1960 Aslam sahib took me to 49 Cranmer Street, Nottingham. The front door of the house was wide open. We walked in. In the hallway we met three men, one was resting against the banister and the other two against the wall. They were talking in soft pleasant Mirpuri dialect. There were two older men sitting at the bottom of the stairs holding small brown envelopes and were discussing the contents of some official looking letters in their hands. All the men shook hands with us. One of the men pointed us towards the backroom. I followed Aslam sahib in to the back room. A man with a welcoming smile greeted us. He said his name was Abdul Salam, and Aslam sahib pointed out that he owned the house. There was another man in the room. Aslam sahib introduced me to him as Sufi Azam sahib. We exchanged the usual pleasantries. I soon realized that he was different from the Pakistanis I had met so far in Nottingham. His voice was deep and firm, but clear and soft. He spoke in a measured and thoughtful tone. He was well informed. He knew a lot, and made sure we knew that he knew a lot. Within minutes of our introduction, we were talking about Pakistani politics, General Ayub Khan, Pakistani Army take-over of the country in 1958, its impact on the development of democracy in Pakistan and the solution of the dispute between India and Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir. He felt very passionately against the Indian occupation of his motherland, the State of Jammu and Kashmir. I shared his sense of injustice on the issue of Kashmir, and his focus on many issues and problems of a growing Pakistani community in Nottingham. We met many times over the next two decades. I moved to Manchester in August 1983. Talking about when and how he came to Britain Azam sahib told me: 'I came to this country in late 1955. I was a very young person at that time, twenty-four years old. I had only one thing on my mind at that time and it was that I must do something in this country about the issue of Kashmir: try to run a movement or something. It was very difficult to obtain passport in those days. For your information. My passport was issued on the recommendation of Sardar Ibrahim. He asked Agha syed who was the deputy foreign secretary in Karachi. It was his recommendation I was asked that. ' You people go there and do peddling and this and that'. I replied to Agha sahib that every body is not the same, and told him I would do something important there and would not give a bad name to my country. I explained my background to him: I was founder president of all Jammu and Kashmir student federation in Gordan College (Rawalpindi). I was eighteen / nineteen years old. We had to do a lot of work there. I also worked at the radio station and at the eye hospital. My education remained unfinished and I came over here in late 1955.I had only one interest here and that was the issue of Kashmir.I founded all jammu and Kashmir conference in UK in 1956; this was the first political or social party. All these political and social organization have come into existents later on. People used to say Raja Azam or Sufi Azam is crazy to do this here. Gradually we have raised political awareness throughout the UK while living in Nottingham. My friends have led this. There was only two or three of us who started the [movement]. Later on syed Sultan, Sha Sahib came and acted as general secretary of all Jammu and Kashmir Muslim conference in UK. After some time he joined the independent Kashmir Movement. Then the late Chaudhry Abdul Rashid became the general secretary. I can claim that I remained president of Muslim conference in the UK for more of less thirty- five years. I helped azad Kashmir leadership to introduce this [Kashmir issue] at international level. In 1966 I organized meetings and processions and invited Sardar Abdul Qayum sahib. Gazi Ellahi Baksh, Shah Abdul Aziz Rejorvi, Islamudin Niaz and editor of Nawa-a- Wakat Hydait Akhtar. In total eleven people [from Kashmir]. It was the first time that the Muslim Conference was introduces at an international level. In 1964 Sheik Abdullah [the Kashmir leader in the Indian occupied part of Kashmir] came here. Aslam sahib and Sardar Gulzar and other friends were here. Sheikh Abdullah's first jalsa in this country was held in Nottingham and I was the chairman of that Jalsa. Chaudhry Noor Hussain was here as well. Sheikh Abdullah was in this country for one month. As you know my party, for which I have worked and led, believes that the state of Jammu and Kashmir should be part of Pakistan. In view of the international situation that is the only viable solution. We say that there should not be double standards for United Nations resolutions: the United Nations passed as resolution and acted on it and destroyed Iraq. Anywhere else they wish they acted upon [UN resolutions]. The United Nations has done all this in Bosnia. They did not like what was happening and told them to do this. If they tell them to do this, why then they do not act upon the resolutions, which were passed unanimously. As you know I have been working on these lines for a long time. During this leadership of Azad Kashmir, Sardar Sikhandar Hayat got the agreement of the assembly that overseas Kashmiri should have a seat in the assembly.' Azam sahib left the party on the issue of selection of Kashmiri overseas representation in the assembly. He added, ' at present my age factor is there, but I still try to do whatever I can, which I still do till I die. I asked Azam sahib what has been the impact of Kashmiri political activities in this country on the community life of Pakistanis and kashmiris in this country? He replied, ' Kashmiri political activities do effect our community politics here. However, our central leadership there and leadership here decided that it should not. We should move in a way that we take more part in British politics. And we should lobby on our problems. This is the best way, because we are British citizens and have a right to vote here. You may have observed that in recent years our people and our elected councilors wherever they are do lobby on this issue. For example, what happened to Robin Cook [Labour party shadow Foreign secretary] when he made comments on the Kashmir issue? He was pressurized and he came out with the resolution and support [for Kashmir]. This showed the [political] strength of out people. All Kashmiris were united against Robin Cook's statement. What we say is that all our ties are with Pakistan, politically, socially, religiously every way. Pakistan has played an important role in Kashmir. Pakistan has links with us. We need each other. I believe in the Muslim block. Nottingham has raised a lot of political awareness in this country. Take people like Aslam sahib, Lala Rehman, Sultan Shah sahib É and you. This was team work. Whatever the circumstances we sat together, talked together and took decision Ð organized processions and jalsas. People followed us and today you see social and political awareness in the UK. The only regret I have is about our young generation. We need to show them the right way, and now because of our age we cannot give as much time as we used to. It is my wish that our new generation continues this work. We should remain our ties with our country Pakistan in some way'. 'Why did he not take part in the politics in this country?' I asked. 'The reason for that was that I wanted to be fully dedicated to one issue, that is Kashmir. I did not think it was appropriate to leave this and take part in other things. The other reason is my religious background. I think those [Pakistanis and kashmiris] who took part in local politics did the right thing. I support this, but I did not want to sacrifice my religion and my culture. I believe in a different type of integration. The English integration: I am not in favour of the integration which [requires you to] sacrifices your religion and culture. However I believe that we have a society, a system and things should be done in an Islamic point of view. I am not against taking part in politics in this country, provided there must be defense somewhere. There must be a way. I lived in this country now for forty years. This is my country. My children were born here. They are bound to be called British. This is there country, and things said against this country whether it's political, social or from moral point of view, should greatly concern us. If we want to save humanity, I say that the golden principles of Islam will save this country and Europe.