A remarkable achievement

The Pakistan Resolution held at Minto Park Lahore under the leadership of Quaid-i-Azam in 1940 demanded a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent. Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was able to turn Allama Iqbal’s dream of an independent Muslim state into a brilliant reality.

People who struggled for for an independent state recall those times when the Muslims were filled with a sense of unity, determination, discipline, and passion to achieve a purpose. Our generation today desperately longs to adopt above qualities with the same intensity, purity of intention, grace, loyalty and wisdom that they saw in their leaders of that time. It is indeed vital for all of us to understand the relentless efforts of Muslims under Quaid-i Azam’s leadership and the sacrifices made by many in achieving a homeland.

My deceased father, Qutubuddin Aziz, in his book Quaid-i Azam Jinnah and the Battle for Pakistan, described the heroic struggles of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah in achieving Pakistan. He rightly claims that “no Muslim leader in the 20th century could match this triumph. We can indeed appreciate the extraordinary successes of both Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, and Ahmad Sukarno, for making Muslim majority Indonesia, but achieving Pakistan by our Quaid-i-Azam within seven years of the adoption of Pakistan Resolution of 23rd March 1940, despite massive challenges, was undoubtedly an exceptional achievement.”

The Quaid-i-Azam stayed faithful and firm on the cause of achieving a homeland for us. Lord Listowel, the last British Secretary of State for India and Burma, recalled in his speech at Lincoln’s Inn, in 1984, that the Two-Nation Theory and Mr Jinnah’s persistence for a separate state for Muslims were the driving factors. He said Quaid-i Azam “pursued this objective with clarity and inflexible will and no tricks played by anyone could deter Mr Jinnah from his resolution to create Pakistan.”

The journey was challenging, but our great leader intensified the re-organisation of the Muslim League. He selected a devoted team of educated people and soon the Muslim League emerged as the second most prominent party. With the party growth, Quaid-i Azam demanded safeguards for Muslims in terms of a separate homeland for the Muslims of India.

Besides re-organising Muslim League and motivating people for the creation of Pakistan, Jinnah encouraged the participation of women in every field. Fatima Jinnah along with Begum Raana Liaquat Ali Khan performed a significant role and mobilised the Muslim women for this struggle. They prepared women to work for the party to achieve its noble cause. History tells us about numerous women who worked tremendously for an independent state. I’m fortunate to say that both my maternal and paternal grandparents played vital roles in helping towards the creation of Pakistan.

In order to encourage and inform the youth about the goals of the Muslim League, he would meet with the Muslim Students’ Federation delegations and the Muslim League National Guards.

Jinnah was positive about the Muslim League that it will win the possible electoral seats, which will strengthen his position in his negotiations with the British and Congress for accepting the decision of the partition of the subcontinent of India.

In December 1945, the Muslim League won the reserved seats for Muslims. This win was understood by Whitehall and the reality of a remarkable mandate was obvious along with the new dynamics and fresh ground realities of India’s politics.

Consequently, the international press became more interested in Jinnah and his goal of achieving an independent homeland for the Muslims. If, however, the election result had gone against the Muslim demand for an independent state, it would mean that power be handed over to the Congress, which was working only for Hindus and it would have been disastrous for the Muslims.

In terms of election the book states: “in the General elections for the central and provincial legislatures in India, the resounding victory of All India Muslim League under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Jinnah, paved the way for the creation of Pakistan. For the Central Legislature, the Muslim League got 88.6 percent of the Muslim vote and every single Muslim seat. For the Provincial Legislative Assemblies, the Muslim League won 442 out of the 509 Muslim seats and 87 percent of the Muslim votes in India’s eleven provinces. This electoral triumph shocked the Congress in India and convinced Prime Minister Clement Attlee’s government in London that Mr. Jinnah and the Muslim League represented the aspirations and the power of India’s Muslims. The demand for Pakistan was the battle cry of the Muslim League in the General elections in India. In conclusion, the epic phase of the task of achieving Pakistan was won by early 1946.”

In 1946, with the Grace of Allah Almighty, the Muslim League achieved victory. The elected Muslim legislators called for a single state of Pakistan. The book quotes: “Congress had a big edge over the Muslim League in wealth, media, power and numerous other areas including the support of some British. But the Muslim masses vote for Muslim League overpowered all intrigues and, Jinnah won his battle, and, in the following year, Pakistan emerged on the map of the world”.

About the older generation’s observations during this journey to independence, Quaid-i-Azam’s motto of unity, faith and, discipline prevailed throughout the battle for Pakistan. Remarkably, my late father had asked Mr Jinnah about which one out of three, unity, faith, and discipline was the most important. Mr Jinnah told my father that all three were equally significant. While explaining further he said: “without faith in the cause that one espouses, the other two, unity and discipline would become irrelevant. Once faith in the cause is accepted by a community or a group, then they unite for a combined effort to attain the goal they have set before themselves in the spirit of the cause. Having united their ranks, they must absorb discipline because without it they would not be able to march forward as a team or as a united and disciplined force. Therefore, all three watchwords are of equal importance and go together to become effective in the onward march of a people in a mass movement determined to achieve a religious or political goal.” Following Quaid-i Azam’s leadership, people had unity of purpose, selflessness, clear intentions, and goodwill for each other.

Pakistan is a blessing for all of us, a homeland with the gallant forces, natural resources, diverse cultures, languages, and scenery. Our struggle for an independent state made us noble enough to help others, raise our voices against atrocities, and be grateful for our founder Jinnah. His courage and leadership united the Muslims of the subcontinent and made Pakistan a reality within seven years of the adoption of the Pakistan Resolution of 23rd March 1940.

Pakistan Zindabad

—The writer is daughter of veteran journalist, bureaucrat, writer, scholar and academician, Qutubuddin Aziz (Late)