His experience in the 1947 Partition of India inspired him to write Train to Pakistan in 1956 (made into film in 1998), which became his most well-known novel.

After working as a lawyer in Lahore High Court for eight years, he joined the Indian Foreign Service upon the Independence of India from British Empire in 1947.

He was appointed journalist in the All India Radio in 1951, and then moved to the Department of Mass Communications of UNESCO at Paris in 1956.

His comparisons of social and behavioural characteristics of Westerners and Indians are laced with acid wit.

[5] Khushwant Singh was born in Hadali, Khushab District, Punjab (which now lies in Pakistan), in a Sikh family.

[7] His uncle Sardar Ujjal Singh (1895–1983) was previously Governor of Punjab and Tamil Nadu.

[10] He pursued higher education at Government College, Lahore, in 1932,[11] and got his BA in 1934 by a "third-class degree".

[13][14][15] Khushwant Singh started his professional career as a practising lawyer in 1939 at Lahore in the Chamber of Manzur Qadir and Ijaz Husain Batalvi.

He founded and edited Yojana,[18] an Indian government journal in 1951–1953; The Illustrated Weekly of India, a newsweekly;The National Herald.

[5] As a public figure, Khushwant Singh was accused of favouring the ruling Congress party, especially during the reign of Indira Gandhi.

When Indira Gandhi announced nation-wide-emergency, he openly supported it and was derisively called an 'establishment liberal'.

[26] Singh's faith in the Indian political system was shaken by the anti-Sikh riots that followed Indira Gandhi's assassination, in which major Congress politicians are alleged to be involved; but he remained resolutely positive on the promise of Indian democracy[27] and worked via Citizen's Justice Committee floated by H. S. Phoolka who is a senior advocate of Delhi High Court.

Singh was a votary of greater diplomatic relations with Israel at a time when India did not want to displease Arab nations where thousands of Indians found employment.

The President, Vice-President and Prime Minister of India all issued messages honouring Singh.

He leaves behind a young widow, two infant children and a large number of friends and admirers.

Amongst those who called at the late sardar’s residence were the PA to the chief justice, several ministers, and judges of the high court.

[40]He also prepared an epitaph for himself, which runs: Here lies one who spared neither man nor God; Waste not your tears on him, he was a sod; Writing nasty things he regarded as great fun; Thank the Lord he is dead, this son of a gun.

I have nourished them with tears of nostalgia ...[42]'Television Documentary: Third World—Free Press (also presenter; Third Eye series), 1983 (UK).