By looking all around Memon personalities we find a personage who has rendered invaluable services not only for Pakistan but also for the nation and his own community. Sometime seen holding high post in the government and sometime seen going warm welcome to delegations coming from abroad as representative of the government.

Qasim Osman Kandawala was such a versatile personality who had won high position in every walk of life. A short account of his life and services in deferent fields is given below:

Year and birthplace: 1919 Bombay India

Education: Matric fully conversation with Urdu, Gujarati, Marathi & English

Designations:

  • Member: Working Committee Muslim League Bombay, From 1938 to 1948
  • All India Muslim League Council from 1939 to 1948
  • Indian Merchant Chamber Bombay. Muslim Chamber of Commerce & Industry Bombay Rotary Club Bombay and Karachi
  • Honorary Secretary: Merchant Association Bombay and Evinced great efficiency in other Social Commercial and Industrial Organizations.
  • Chairman: Messrs. Pak News Limited.
  • Member executive council: National Committee for International Trade.
  • Member: Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
  • Member Working Committee: Pakistan Memon educational and Welfare Society Karachi.
  • President: Okhai Memon Madressa Association Karachi.
  • Senior Vice President: Okhai Memon Anjuman Karachi.
  • Member: Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (Finance Committee).
  • Agriculture Dept. Govt. of Pakistan from 1962 to 1977
  • Agricultural council (Agriculture Ministry govt. of Pakistan)
  • Advisory Council for Export & Import (Trade Ministry Govt. of Pakistan) 1964 to 1966, 1972 to 1975.
  • Tri Parties Labour Conference 1964 to 1967, 1972 to 1977.
  • Chairman: Investment (Predatory Tri-Parties Conference 1975.
  • Acting President & Senior Vice President: Chamber of Commerce & Industry Karachi 1964 to 1965.
  • President: Chamber of Commerce & Industry Karachi 1972 to 1974.
  • Member Managing Committee: Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce 1950 to 1959, 1962 to 1965, 1967 to 1969, 1972 to 1975.
  • Chairman: Labour Committee Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry 1967 to 1969, 1972 to 1975.
  • Member Managing Committee: Buyers & Shippers Chamber 1950 to 1954.
  • Chamber of Commerce & Industry Karachi 1961 to 1965, 1967 to 1969, 1975 to 1976
  • Member: Pakistan Western Railway Local Advisory Committee Karachi Division 1952 to 1976
  • Director: Pakistan Cotton Association Ltd. 1960 to 1955
  • Karachi Cotton Association 1957 to 1960, 1962 to 1964,
  • 1966 to 1968, 1970 to 1972, 1975 to 1976
  • Vice Chairman: Karachi Cotton Association 1976 to 1977.
  • Member: International Council for Trade & Export Development
  • (Trade Ministry Govt. of Pakistan) 1950 to 1955.
  • Export Promotion Council: (Ministry of Trade Govt. of Pakistan) 1963 to 1976.
  • Chairman: Committee for Agricultural Produces Promotion
  • (Food products promotion Bureau (Trade Ministry Govt. of Pakistan 1963 to 1965. Transport (Facilities Committee) Export promotion Bureau govt. of Pakistan.
  • Member: Board of Intermediate Education 1977 to 1978.
  • Pakistan Trade Delegation Kuwait 1965.
  • Leader: Pakistan Trade Delegation for Middle East & African Countries 1974.
  • Member: Executive Committee Export Promotion Bureau 1973 to 1975.
  • Export Marketing Development Fund 1973 to 1975.
  • Film Censor Board Govt. of Pakistan 1972 to 1975.
  • Chairman: Transportation & Custom Committee Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
  • Member: First Industrial Court West Pakistan (Ministry of Labour Govt. of Pakistan) 1970 to 1972 nominated as justice of peace by Chief Commissioner Karachi in 1958.
  • Represented Pakistan in various international conference and seminars.
  • Chairman: Pakistan shippers council 1980.
  • Member Managing: Federation of Pakistan chambers of commerce
  • Committee: & industry 1980.

As an illustrious and distinguished social leader he was a proficient, far sighted and acting after careful thought personality. Adamjee and died on 27th January 1948. But his five death anniversaries passed quietly without being remembered by Memons. Kandawala and his few friends arranged to celebrate sixth anniversary with great favour and warmth of feeling. Gujarati newspapers had published special supplements of 16 to 20 pages and federal ministers Mr. Soharwardi, Mr. Fazl-ur-Rehman Habib Rehmatullah and other renowned scholars and political and social leaders had delivered speeches. After that regular arrangement began to celebrate Adamjee death anniversary every year and is being celebrated till now.

Morally Kandawala was very social able and sweet tempered. He attended pains and pleasures of his friends and near and dear ones. In commercial circles he remained present on every occasion. He took part to his almost in Pakistan movement and had given enormous sacrifices. Though he was not a Seth however, he got a high position as a respectable leader in official circles together with commercial and social fields.

He was serving society without any showiness and ostentation because he did not believe in men show. During last few years of his life he because out of sorts. Meanwhile he was afflicted with cataract. But he did not like to go to any expensive hospital and preferred the hospital of Bantva Memon Khidmat Committee for surgical operation, which proved successful. Afterwards his social activities became limited.

His services rendered as president of Pakistan shipper’s council were also praiseworthy. In 1980 he led a delegation sent forth to Colombo, Bangkok and Singapore for commercial affairs and while coming back he stayed in Bombay for few days to see his friends and relatives. Thus he stepped in his paternal city after 20 years. During his stay in Bombay he suffered a serious heart attack on the night of 5th September 1980 at 8:45 PM. This attack remained up to 10:30 PM. Afterwards he passed away in the same room of Mossa Michkal house (his father’s ancestral home) in Gogari Muhalla where he was born the lamp of his life extinguished. After three days his dead body was brought to Karachi by air on 8th September 1980.

 He was President of Pakistan shipper’s council. He died abroad while serving his country and its economy. This made his friends and relatives aggrieved. Trader’s social leaders and scholars including his community nearly four thousand peoples attended his funeral prayers in New Memon Masjid. Afterwards he was buried in Okhai Memon Jamat Mewashah graveyard.

May Allah bless his soul.