While his life is full of worthy acts of kindness, his name lives on in history for building a fully functional 200-bed welfare hospital from his own wealth and then donating it to the government. A piece of modern design equipped with the latest machinery of that time, the government named the hospital after his name as "Munshi Hospital" to acknowledge his welfare act.
Mr. Mian Muhammad Munshi was born in December 1914 in the village of MadhuPur in Jalandhar, India. His father, Mian Fateh Muhammad, was also a renowned social welfare personality. Due to the excellent upbringing and grooming of his father, Mian Muhammad Munshi started active engagement in social work from the early days of his life and had an impact on the lives of countless deserving people irrespective of their caste, creed, or religion.
After the partition, Mr. Mian Muhammad Munshi moved with his family to Toba Tek Singh, leaving behind his assets in India. While his family stayed at Toba Tek Singh, he himself moved to Lahore to start afresh. He was a talented individual full of skill, vision, and ambition. Soon he found his opportunity and started manufacturing chappals in his factory with his brothers, which became so famous that a chowk named "Sardar Chappal '' was named after them. One thing led to another, and his business empire grew in different industries due to his sharp business acumen, commitment, and herculean struggle, yielding employment for many.
Throughout this time, his engagement in social welfare continued. He helped many poor families discreetly with their daughters’ weddings, their education, and their monthly support. He got a mosque, "Ibrahim Masjid," built in his area where religious teachings were imparted to a lot of young children, which continues to this day. He gave his own property to build a post office since there wasn’t one in that area. His quest and passion to serve humanity continued to grow, and soon he stepped on his dream journey to build a hospital, something he always wanted to do.
Mian Muhammad Munshi Hospital, situated at Bund Road, Lahore, was built in 1986, seven years after its groundbreaking by Mr. General Sawar Khan (Governor Punjab), on 20 kanal lands owned by Mr. Mian Muhammad Munshi. It is the outcome of seven years of rigorous efforts, dedication, and millions of rupees spent by Mr. Mian Muhammad Munshi. His commitment to the cause can be judged by the fact that he himself labored day and night to build this hospital.
Once the hospital was built, the crucial stage of management began. Money was no issue, but Mr. Munshi was not educated enough to run such a venture on his own.
As per the old printed statements of Mr. Mian Muhammad Munshi, his friend Dr. Mian Bashir told him about a guy named Abdul Sattar Edhi in Karachi who could manage this.
A few days later, when Mr. Edhi came to Lahore and saw this hospital, He said that he has built a small hospital in Karachi, but this is a large hospital, and he is not capable of running it.
He, however, helped in connecting him with resourceful people in government who could facilitate running the hospital after its inauguration by the then chief minister, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. However, that could not happen due to the busy schedule of the chief minister.
Later, Mr. Mian Muhammad Munshi met Mr. Malik Nisar at one of his friend's parties. Mr. Manzoor was instrumental in getting a meeting arranged through Dr. Basharat with the President of Pakistan, Gen. Ziaul Haq, Upon meeting Mr. Muhamamd Munshi, the President of Pakistan encouraged him and appreciated his efforts for such a great cause.
He also advised Mr. Nawaz Sharif to take over the hospital's documents from him. The Chief Minister visited the hospital on November 4, 1986, and immediately expressed his appreciation. During the handing-over ceremony, Mr. Nawaz Sharif announced that the hospital will be operational from January 1987 and commented that Mr. Mian Muhammad Munshi has created a commendable example of compassion and kindness, and others should follow the same. The hospital is fully functional even today and serves a lot of deserving patients.
Mr. Mian Muhammad Munshi lived a happy life and died in 1996, leaving two sons (Mian Iftikhar Munshi and Mian Waqas Munshi) and three daughters (Lubna Munshi, Nafeesa Munshi, and Shazia Munshi) to continue his wonderful legacy.
While the great man has done so much for humanity and donated a hospital to the government, it's ironic to learn how his children suffered at the hands of injustice.
Mr. Mian Muhammad Munshi bought an agri-land of around 975 kanals in 1991 from the National Industrial Cooperative Credit Corporation (NICCCL), whose president was Chaudhary Abul Majeed. Mr. Munshi had a deposit investment in NICCCL, but due to default by the company, a settlement agreement was made in which his deposit investment amounting to PKR 12.5+ million was settled with the provision of property owned by Chaudhary Majeed.
Possession was handed over to Mr. Mian Muhammad Munshi, and multiple crops were cultivated for a period of more than 10 years. However, after the default of cooperative banks, all records were taken over by the Punjab Cooperative Board for liquidation.
Still, possession was with Mr. Mian Muhammad Munshi and his family, but suddenly, the liquidation board took possession forcefully in 2001.
Since then, the family of Mr. Mian Muhammad Munshi has been fighting to take back its rightful property, but to no avail. As per the family lawyer, the institution is not willing to let go of the property despite acknowledging payment by Mr. Mian Muhammad Munshi for said land, as evidenced by documents available with them.
Family of late. Mr. Mian Muhammad Munshi said that their father was blessed with this great trait of helping people by all means and resources available to him. He would go to any length to serve humanity. He was a very pious man who worked very hard to earn his due place in society and tirelessly worked to facilitate the downtrodden and help them in their daily lives. Building a 200-bed, fully functional hospital on his own land with his own wealth for the welfare of society and then donating it to the government illustrates his devotion to serving humanity.
They said that in 1986, Chief Minister Punjab, Mr. Nawaz Sharif, inaugurated the hospital and appreciated this noble cause, but it hurts to see the deterioration of quality over time. Now they look towards and appeal to the current Chief Minister, Mr. Mohsin Naqvi, to take notice of the quality improvement of the hospital and the injustice they are facing with respect to the dispossession of their rightful inherited land.
Further, they also appealed for formal recognition of this noble act of their late father with a civil award.