He was the son of a tribal Tarin (or Tareen) chieftain and cavalry officer, Sardar Habib Khan (1829–1888), Nawab-Bahadur, Risaldar; and was born in Talokar village, near Haripur, in what was later to be the Hazara area of the NWFP, in British India. After his father's death he was educated by English tutors and then sent to Aitchison College, Lahore for studies. Later, he was sent to England and became a Barrister.