LAHORE, Oct 16: Former senator Dr Javid Iqbal has said Pakistan’s survival depends upon what interpretation of Islam is made by the ulema who have won the general election.

He was speaking at a function to mark the 51st death anniversary of Pakistan’s first prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan organized by the Nazaria-i-Pakistan Foundation and the Pakistan Movement Workers Trust at their auditorium here on Wednesday.

He said the success of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal was a significant event in the history of Muslims of the subcontinent. It was for the first time that the ulema had succeeded after the unsuccessful attempt of the Mujahideen movement led by Saiyed Ahmad Barelvi and Shah Ismael Shaheed to enforce Islam about 170 years ago and the failure of the Khilafat Movement about 80 years ago.

He said both the movements had caused immense political and socio-economic loss to the Muslims pushing back their struggle for independence for over 100 years against the foreign domination after 600 years of their rule of the subcontinent.

Former chief justice Dr Nasim Hasan Shah said the budget presented by Liaquat Ali Khan as the finance minister of India had in fact laid the foundation of Pakistan as it had caused a severe blow to the economy of the Hindu capitalists and had provided great relief to the poor. Repeal of the Salt Act had done great harm to them.

As the first prime minister of Pakistan, Mr Khan had to face tremendous problems like the heavy influx of the Muslim refugees from India, weak economy and lack of resources, etc. He had discharged his duties efficiently after the death of the Quaid-i-Azam, he added.

Advocate Syed Ahmad Saeed Kirmani said Liaquat Ali Khan was a great patriot and an honest leader and a trusted lieutenant of the Quaid-i-Azam.

He said he could not give a constitution to the nation because of peculiar situation in Pakistan because of heavy influx of refugees from India, lack of funds to run the government and the rise of Bengali nationalism.

Author and educationist Dr Safdar Mahmood denied that Liaquat Ali Khan had differences with the Quaid-i-Azam and that the ailing Quaid had told his sister Fatima Jinnah that Liaquat Ali Khan had visited him at Ziarat only to see how long would he survive. He said the Quaid’s ADC Brig Noor Husain who was still alive was a witness to the fact that the Quaid had never uttered such words against Liaquat Ali Khan. However, there were differences between Fatima Jinnah and Begum Liaquat Ali Khan but certainly not between the two great leaders.

He also dismissed the propaganda that the Quaid had been provided a defective van by the Liaquat government when he arrived at Karachi by air from Ziarat.

He said Liaquat Ali Khan had not claimed an inch of land in Pakistan in lieu of the land he had left in India. Despite being a prime minister, he had died a pauper with Rs14 in his pocket and a bank balance of Rs200 only.

He said the Dutch Queen had given to Pakistan’s ambassador Begum Liaquat Ali Khan a grand palace after having lost a chess game. The Begum who had no property had transferred the palace in the name of the Pakistan government.

Others who addressed included Dr M. A. Soofi, Ali Mohtashim and Dr Rafiq Ahmad.