He studied at St Bonaventure's High School in Hyderabad followed by Aitchison College, Lahore, before graduating from the University of Cambridge.

[1] On 24 July, he ascended the throne at Faiz Mahal[1] but a regency board, consisting of his close relatives, was created to govern the state on his behalf, as he was a minor.

[3] During Khan's reign, Khairpur spanned over 15,700 square kilometres (6,050 sq mi) with a population of around 300,000[3] and a substantial part of the Lahore-Karachi railway track was within the state, making the territory highly valuable to the newly formed Pakistan.

[3] A supplementary instrument signed on 1 February 1949 considerably reduced the effective powers of Khan and the Durbar, giving Pakistan control of the armed forces and also agreeing that the chief-minister of the state would be appointed only after consultation with the national government.

[9] Finally, having come to believe a merger was inevitable, the state assembly passed a resolution to unite with the Dominion of Pakistan on 10 November 1954.

[1] His second wife was Alya Talpur, a daughter of religious scholar Allama Rasheed Turabi.