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Last Updated:February 19, 2026, 14:18 IST
According to those accompanying him, Imran Khan turned to the Shahi Imam and remarked that visiting Delhi's Jama Masjid had given him a deeper understanding of India
More than two decades later, as Ramadan begins again, memories of that evening at Jama Masjid have resurfaced.
On November 4, 2004, with Eid barely two days away and Ramadan drawing to a close, an unusual visitor joined hundreds of worshippers at Delhi’s historic Jama Masjid for Maghrib prayers. As dusk settled and rows of fasting faithful broke their fast with dates and fruit, the presence of Pakistan’s most celebrated public figure at the time, Imran Khan, triggered a wave of excitement across the courtyard.
As the prayer concluded and word spread that Khan was among them, worshippers gathered around, offering him dates and fruit. He spent time interacting with the crowd and briefly addressed those present. For a few moments, he stood quietly observing the sea of fasting worshippers seated together, an image emblematic of Ramadan evenings at the 17th-century mosque.
According to those accompanying him, Khan later turned to the Shahi Imam, Ahmed Bukhari, and remarked that visiting the grand mosque had given him a deeper understanding of India. Curious about the upkeep of the monument, he asked who was responsible for its maintenance. On being told that it was overseen by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), he is said to have expressed appreciation for how well it was maintained.
Khan was in the capital to participate in the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, then one of South Asia’s most prominent forums for political and intellectual exchange. At the time, he was widely regarded as one of the region’s biggest public personalities, long before his political ascent and subsequent imprisonment in Pakistan.
His visit to the mosque followed a personal request. Having expressed a desire to offer prayers at Jama Masjid, arrangements were made in coordination with Imam Bukhari. Writer Firoz Bakht Ahmed, grandson of Maulana Azad, was among those present. Khan was driven from the Maurya Sheraton hotel to the mosque in a Contessa car, passing through central Delhi as he took in the cityscape.
On the way, he reportedly noted the number of mosques dotting the skyline. “There are so many mosques in Delhi," he observed, drawing comparisons with Islamabad. In Punjabi, he remarked that he felt little difference between Lahore and Delhi, surprised at the number of Punjabi speakers he encountered. The conversation turned to Partition and the migration of Hindu and Sikh families from Lahore to Delhi in 1947, an exchange that appeared to intrigue him.
Over the course of his 3-4 days of stay, conversations moved beyond cricket and politics. In a private discussion at the hotel on November 2, 2004, Khan spoke at length about his maternal roots in Jalandhar. His mother, Shaukat Khanum, was born there and lived in Basti Nau until Partition. Khan recounted that his grandfather, Ahmed Hasan Khan, had established Islamia College in Jalandhar, and that the family had deep roots in the region spanning centuries.
He described visiting his ancestral home during a 1983 trip to India and reflected on the layered history of Jalandhar, which he believed dated back thousands of years. A history student at Oxford, Khan appeared animated while discussing the city’s medieval and colonial past, its settlements such as Basti Nau and Basti Danishmandan, and its strategic importance between the Sutlej and Beas rivers during the Mughal era.
His remarks occasionally turned political. At the summit, Altaf Hussain, founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, was also present. Though both men shared Pakistani nationality, they maintained distance. Khan was critical of Hussain and the MQM’s role in Karachi’s turbulent politics, while Hussain’s speech questioned the benefits of Pakistan’s creation and addressed the plight of Urdu-speaking migrants, comments that reportedly caused discomfort among some attendees.
More than two decades later, as Ramadan begins again, memories of that evening at Jama Masjid have resurfaced. Khan, once cheered in packed stadiums and courted on international stages, is now incarcerated in Pakistan. Reports about severe deterioration in his right eye, including substantial loss of vision, have drawn concern among supporters and critics alike.
For those who witnessed his 2004 visit, the contrast is stark. Mohammad Taqi, a social worker from Old Delhi who was present at the mosque that evening, says he was saddened to hear about Khan’s health. “I will pray for him," he said quietly, describing the former cricketer-turned-politician as “a very dear enemy".
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First Published:
February 19, 2026, 14:18 IST
News cricket November 4, 2004: When Imran Khan Declared In Delhi's Jama Masjid That He Finally Understood India
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