Sir Haji Abdullah Haroon was born in 1872 in the city of Karachi in Sind, and at the very tender age of 4 lost his father Haroon Abu Baker. He was brought up and educated in the most trying circumstances by his great mother Hanifabai, a very religious and pious lady of substance. Even though her brothers offered to take her back to their home since she was very young, she did not want her son growing up on other's charities, she ingrained in him great values that shaped his life into what would become one of the greatest businessman, distinguished philanthropist and one of the leading figures of Pakistan's freedom movement.
Sir Haji Abdullah Haroon greatly believed in the dignity of labor and at a very young age of eight years in 1880 he gave up the playground to start earning so he could help support himself and his mother, beginning as a hawker and in 1886 joined a relative's firm as a messenger and help boy. In 1887 he progressed to his brother-in-law's firm and worked there to gain experience. In 1890 Abdullah Haroon joined his maternal uncle in the grain business as an understudy and traveled with him to learn the tricks of the trade. In 1896 he had learnt enough to start his own business on a very small scale, the start of his career might have been humble but he was soon to outshine all his contemporaries in business and came to be known as the "Sugar King".
He entered politics in 1913 and was elected a Member of the Karachi Municipal Corporation. In 1917, he joined the Indian National Congress, and began taking part in the Independence Movement. In 1919, he became President. Khilafat Committee of Sind.
Sir Haroon was an elected Member of the Bombay Legislative Council from 1924 to 1926. He was also a Member Central Legislative Assembly and was re-elected twice in 1930 and 1934. He was a member of various Committees of the House. Sir Abdullah Haroon was disenchanted with the policies of the Congress and joined the Muslim League and remained its staunchest ally till his death. He was asked by the All India Muslim League body to revive and reorganize the provincial branch of the League in Sind.
In 1938 Sir Abdullah Haroon was elected President, Sind Provincial Muslim League. He was among those personalities who spoke and endorsed the 'Pakistan Resolution' at the historic 27th Session of the Muslim League at Lahore on March 23, 1940.
At the Madras Session of the All India Muslim League, held in April 1941, Sir Abdullah Haroon was appointed Member of the Committee to workout on a five years plan for the educational, economic, social and political advancement of the Muslims.
Sir Abdullah Haroon was not only a great statesman but also one of the leading philanthropists of his time. He contributed to many charitable institutions. Sind Provincial Muslim League was entirely dependent upon his contributions. He founded the 'Islamiya Orphanage for Boys', which incorporated a school in 1923 and made endowments for its maintenance and established the 'Cutchi Memon Madrasa-e-Binat for Girls' in memory of his great mother. He built 'Muslim Gymkhana' and playground at personal expense in Karachi and also built numerous mosques at various places in Karachi and Sind. He contributed immensely toward the improvement of the Muslim lot in economic, educational, social and political fields.
Sir Abdullah Haroon's personality was genial, optimistic, helpful, simple and noble that is truly philanthropic he died on April 27, 1942 at Karachi and his last abode is located at his favorite charity the Islamiya orphanage for Boys.
