Quaid-i-Azam Academy: A research institute whose fate hangs in the balance

American historian Stanley Wolpert in his book “Jinnah of Pakistan” while commending the services of the Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah wrote: “Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Mohammad Ali Jinnah did all three.”

Not only Stanley Wolpert but many veteran writers, historians, scholars of international repute have acknowledged the towering personality of the founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who emerged as the heroic personality for the Muslim Ummah in the 20th century.

In the initial years of Pakistan, no effort was made to archive partition history or do some research on the personality of the Quaid, though it was easier at that time when many of the stalwarts of Pakistan movement who worked with him were alive and could have contributed towards penning down the historical account of Pakistan Movement. Termed as “one of the greatest migrations in human history,” which led to the migration of millions of Muslims to West and East Pakistan (the latter became Bangladesh) and millions of Hindus and Sikhs to India, Pakistan movement cannot be explained without Quaid-i-Azam’s role in it.

However, a committee formed on the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of the Quaid, recommended on Nov 6, 1975, to establish an autonomous organisation which undertakes the task of doing research on the vision and accomplishments of the Quaid and his associates and publish them. The then education minister Abdul Hafeez Pirzada on Dec 25, 1975, announced to establish an academy in Karachi and the Quaid-i-Azam Academy was formally established through a Resolution of the Assembly on January 9, 1976. It was declared an Autonomous Research Organization under the administrative control of Ministry of Education on Jan 28, 1976. Initially housed in a block of Pakistan Secretariat, it was shifted in November 1979 to its present building in front of the mausoleum of the Quaid-i-Azam.

A Board of Governors and an Executive Committee of the Academy were formed. A constitution was approved which entailed all the administrative and financial rules applicable to the employees of the Academy. The Board of Governors and Executive Committee are non-existent since long as the last meeting of the Board was held in 1998. The Director (BS-20) is the administrative and research head of the Academy as per its constitution, but that post too is lying vacant for the last two years after its last Director retired. Moreover, no new appointment has been done in the Academy for the past ten years, though out of Academy’s total 29 posts, currently 14 posts are lying vacant, while 15 remaining posts are occupied by clerical or junior staff.

As per its mandate, the Academy was entrusted with the task of conducting a holistic research on the life & services of the Quaid-i-Azam and his associates and allied topics; preserve historical archives of Pakistan movement, publish books and research papers on the Movement, Quaid and his associates, and other relevant material; arrange seminars, discussions, lectures, and celebrate the National days for highlighting the cultural, social, political and economic aspects of the history of Pakistan.

Veteran historian Prof Sharif Al Mujahid became the first director of this Academy. After him renowned names like Qutubuddin Aziz, Dr Yaqoob Mughal, Khwaja Razi Haider and Dr Shehla Kazmi headed the Academy. Sharif Al Mujahid undertook the painstaking task of collecting Pakistan movement archives and also wrote innumerable books for the Academy. Qutubuddin Aziz also collected references from other literature printed in other parts of the world, in different newspapers and books which are now kept in the library of the Academy. Similarly, articles written by these personalities in national Urdu and English dailies and international journals make another precious archives which the Academy can be proud of.

With an initial start of ten thousands books, the Academy’s huge library, currently has around 33,000 books, some of them are very rare. This is the only library of Pakistan where books and publications about the life of Quaid-i-Azam and his associates and history of Pakistan are kept for the next generation of researchers, students of history and academicians to benefit from. Since inception, the Academy’s Karachi office has published 86 books in various languages on various aspects of Quaid’s life while Islamabad office has printed 10 books. Khawaja Razi Haider published 8 books about the personality of the Quaid. The Academy sells these publications to institutions and individuals at discounted rates and provides complimentary copies to the guests wherever desired. However, due to no serious marketing efforts, the distribution of these publications is not very robust.

The status of Academy was changed from an autonomous organization to a Sub-Ordinate Office of the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage on 13th June 2014.

Later, the Quaid-i-Azam Papers Wing Islamabad was also merged with the Quaid-i-Azam Academy, Karachi on May 25, 2015, the former is now working as the Sub-Office of the Quaid-i-Azam Academy head office in Karachi.

Recently, through another notification on Dec 19, 2019, the Academy was merged with the Mazar Management Board under a recommendation from the Prime Minister Reform Commission, which has changed its autonomous status.

Having no Director of the Academy at the moment, the Resident Engineer of the Quaid-i-Azam Mazar Management Board Engineer Mohammad Arif has been assigned the additional charge of Director of the Academy.

On a question about as to how an engineer can run the affairs of a research institute, Engineer Arif while talking to The News said: “Though the merger decision has not been finalised yet, but even in case of merger, Academy will still work independently under a separate director, without any interference from the Management Board. However, the two organisations will work under one Administrator”, he informed, while adding that the Quaid-i-Azam, Foundation Act is being drafted and will be passed soon from the assembly.

The new arrangement will not be so simple as the administrative Incharge of the two totally different departments will not be able to do justice with his job, as the two organizations require persons with different skill sets and qualification.

The research work which is the main thirst of the Academy is halted, due to the absence of any researcher.

Engineer Arif told that in order to continue research activities, he has transferred a research officer Zahid Abro from Islamabad to the Academy, who is working on a book on Nawab Mohammad Ismail Khan based on letters written by Nawab Sahib to the Quaid. Research on a book on the “Assassination of the Quaid-i-Azam” and another book titling “March towards Pakistan”, is underway and will be published soon.

Prof Talat Wizarat, renowned academician and scholar, opines that the Academy serves as a think tank for conducting research on the father of the nation, stalwarts of Pakistan Movement and to do this its autonomous status is very necessary. “Situated at the birthplace of the Quaid, the Academy’s scope should be expanded further and more funds should be allocated to promote research. We have done very less work on the dynamic personality and leadership of the Quaid and exploring the movement he spearheaded singlehandedly. That information should be transferred to our next generations who lack this knowledge. In India, a lot of books have been printed on Gandhi and disseminated globally, making him a known international personality. On the contrary we failed to do so. In Britain, people know the Quaid because he lived and studied there, but we haven’t transferred knowledge about him to countries like the Middle East, Africa, and central Asian republics,” she said while highlighting the need for more such autonomous research institutes, and proper funding to the Academy. She said foreign delegates who visit Pakistan should be given a tour to the Academy to inform them about our glorious history.

Dr Yaqoob Mughal who served the Academy as its Director from 2003-2005, says the Academy has attained more importance due to the recent state of Muslims in India. “The new generation should know that Quaid’s decision to create a new country for the Muslims was just right and timely. The Academy should be made a functional institute.” He said earlier National Centres were closed. “I fear lest Academy also faces the same fate, as research grants for universities has already had a 30% cut while Academy’s funds are very low.”

Echoing similar views, veteran scholar, writer and academician, Dr Syed Jaffar Ahmed, ex-Director, Pakistan Study Centre, Karachi University, who remained the treasurer of the Quaid-i-Azam Academy for 15 years and was also the member of its academic committee, observed that Academy has long been a victim of bureaucratic interference by the center. “Those who are at the helm of affairs at the centre lack scholarly approach with no concept of autonomy for such institutions, which are purely research-oriented and were created with a great vision in mind by the then government of Z A Bhutto.”

He said during that period Pakistan Study Centres were established in 5 Universities. In QAU, National Institute of Pakistan Studies (NIPS) was established. Separate Area Study Centres (for Europe, South Asia, North and South America, Middle East, Central Asia, and Far East) were established in 6 Universities. After their closure, we slammed the doors of research. Earlier an institute Quaid-i-Azam Papers was established in Islamabad and made a sub-unit of the Academy. All the letters and important Pakistan movement documents kept at the Academy and the Karachi University, were taken to Islamabad. Dr Zawwar Zaidi who was the Incharge of the Institute, was also made the chairman of the Academy. “The Institute’s staff salary and other expenses became the reasonability of the Academy, thus further curtailing its research budget. The way these institutes are either closed or centralised, it seems that one day they will also take away the Quaid’s Mazar to Islamabad,” he lamented. He observed that around the world such centres of studies in various universities preserve history for researchers and students to benefit from. Washington University and Columbia University are just two examples.

He said the Academy had an enviable beginning with well-meaning people on board. After the founding director of the Academy, Sharif Al Mujahid, Dr Waheed Ahmed, headed the Academy. “Though research was slow in his time, but he remarkably preserved historical documents.” Dr Mohammad Siddiqui, a literary person, and critic followed Dr Waheed, and then other directors came from other departments, who didn’t possess right credentials to run this academy.

“Historically the Academy couldn’t become a true functional institute where research and researchers could thrive.” He said the directors were brought from outside the Academy. “No effort was made to produce senior researchers and scholars within the academy. As a result, Academy looks like a dead house now with no senior person there.”

“The Academy needs to have autonomy, and it should remain in Karachi as an institute where research could thrive under the leadership of right people,” he concluded.

—The writer is a staff member and serving as the Editor Supplements and Special Reports in The News. She can be reached at: sheheronline@gmail.com