December 30, 2006

A Chronology 1906-1947

1906

1906 - 30 December. The concluding day of the 20th session of the All-India Mohammedan Educational Conference (AIMEC) in Dacca. After the Session was over, the delegates reassembled in the pandal to discuss the formation of a political organization of Muslims.

On Nawab Salimullah Bahadur of Dacca’s proposal Nawab Viqarul Mulk, Maulvi Mushtaq Hussain Bahadur, was elected chairman, and on Nawab Salimullah’s proposal, again, it was decided to form a political organization, called the All India Muslim League (AIML), with the following aims and objects:

i). To promote among the Musalmans of India feelings of loyalty to the British Government and to remove any misconception that may arise as to the intention of government with regard to any of its measures;

ii). To protect and advance the political rights and interests of the Musalmans of India and to respectfully represent their needs and aspirations; and

iii). To protect among the Musalmans of India of any feeling of hostility towards other communities without prejudice to the other aforementioned objects of the League.

A Provisional Committee was formed with Nawab Viqarul Mulk and Nawab Mohsinul Mulk as Joint Secretaries, to frame the Constitution of the AIML within four months.

1907

1907-29-30 Decembre. First session of the AIML held at Karachi, with Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy as President. It resolved that Rules and Regulations of the AIML be framed as early as possible. Two Provincial Branches in the Punjab, one established in Feb. 1906 and the other in Dec. 1906 were merged together with Mian (later Justice) Shah Din as President, Mian Muhammad Shafi as General Secretary and Mian Fazl-i-Hussain as Joint Secretary.

Also approved the Rules and Regulations of the party prepared by the Committee. A resolution was adopted to set up a Committee of 26 Members to prepare the draft of Rules and Regulations of the AIML. 1908

1908 - 18-19 March. Adjourned First session of the AIML held in Aligarh, with Shah Din as President. A donation of Rs.500 from the Aga Khan was announced.

The Session approved financial support to the British Committee. Resolutions adopted included imploring the government to implement the Simla Deputation demands and to provide representation to Muslims in various bodies.

1908 - 6 May. Inaugural meeting of the British Committee of the AIML was held in London, with Syed Ameer Ali as President. The primary purpose was to safeguard and promote the special Muslim interests. According to its constitution all the Muslims resident in the U.K. and Ireland were eligible for elementary membership. Resolutions adopted included those expressing “...their extreme regret and disappointment at the telegram from His Excellency the Viceroy communicated to the House of Lords by the Secretary of State on the 4th instant.

1908-23 May. Extraordinary General Meeting of the AIML held at Lucknow, with Nawab Viqarul Mulk as President. It reconsidered the extension of the principle of separate electorates to Municipal and District Boards, and called for special treatment of Muslims by the Government as a special community.

1908 - 9 August. Special meeting of the Central Committee of the AIML, held at Aligarh, urged Muslim representation in the Viceroy’s Executive Council, appointment of Muslim judges and a separate High Court for Eastern Bengal and Assam, and expressed concern over the movement against the Partition of Bengal.

1908 - 15 November. Meeting of the Central Committee of the AIML held at Aligarh. Secretary reported the establishment of Provincial Leagues in East Bengal, Bihar and the Deccan, and efforts to establish one at Madras.

1908-30-31 December. Second session of the AIML held at Amritsar, with Syed Ali Imam as President. Haji Musa Khan, the Officiating Hon. Secretary, presented the annual report. Three resolutions on the reform scheme, moved by the Chair were adopted.

Other resolutions adopted dealt with, among others, Muslim representation in the Executive Council of the Governnor-General and of the Governors, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and in the Services, and setting a Committee to finalize an address on the Reform Scheme.

1909

1909-21 January. General meeting of the Bengal Provincial Muslim League held at Calcutta, with Sultan Ahmad as President.

1909-12 February. In the Council Room of the India Office on 27 January 1909, the Right Hon. Viscount Morley received a deputation of the AIML, London Branch, to present him the views of the Mussalmans of India on the projected Indian Reforms.

1909-12 September. Meeting of the Central Committee of AIML held at Aligarh.

1910

1910-29-30 January. Third annual session of the AIML held in Delhi, with H.H. the Aga Khan as President and Hakim Mohammad Ajmal Khan as Chairman of the Reception Committee. The Aga Khan was elected President of the AIML.

1910-28 & 30 December. Fourth session of AIML held at Nagpur with Syed Nabiullah as President, and Khan Bahadur H.M. Malak as Chairman, Reception Committee. H.H. the Aga Khan also attended. Resolutions adopted included among other things, concerned with the extension of communal representation to all self-governing public bodies and in the administration, Wakf-alal-Aulad, free and compulsory primary education, and the access of Indians to the highest offices.

1911

1911-23 July. Meeting of the Central Council of the AIML was held in which Mr. Jinnah’s Wakf-alal-Aulad Bill was discussed.

1912

1912-3-4 March. Fifth session of the AIML was held at Town Hall, Calcutta with Maulvi Badruddin Haider, Khan Bahadur, as Chairman, Reception Committee and Nawab Bahadur Sir Salimullah of Dacca as President. Resolutions including one urging upon the government the desirability of Jinnah’s bill regarding Wakfs being passed into law at an early date were adopted.

1912-8 December. Wazir Hasan, General Secretary of the AIML wrote to Jinnah inviting him to attend the forthcoming meeting of the AIML Council. Then Jinnah was not an AIML member, but was invited because of his expertise on constitutional matters.

1912-31 December. Meeting of the AIML Council held at Bankipur in which Jinnah also participated as a special invitee. At Jinnah’s suggestion, the resolution regarding “self-government suitable to India” as the goal of AIML was adopted after a good deal of discussion.

1913

1913-22-23 March. Sixth session of the AIML held at Lucknow, with Mian Mohammad Shafi as President. Resolutions adopted included those commending Jinnah’s efforts for the adoption of the Wakf Bill by the Imperial Legislative Council.

1913-14 July. Jinnah attended the fifth annual general meeting of the AIML London branch in London.

1913-10 October. Jinnah was enrolled as a member of the AIML, with Syed Wazir Hasan as the proposer and Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar as the seconder.

1913-30-31 December. Seventh session of the AIML was held at Agra with Syed Alay Nabi as Chairman, Reception Committee and Sir Ibrahim Rahimtullah as the President. Jinnah also participated in the session. Resolutions adopted included those on the creation of Muslim League National Fund; Separation of Judiciary from the administration in every province; and Muslim representation in the public bodies.

1915/1916

1915/1916-30 December-1 January 1916. Eighth session of the AIML held in Bombay with Abdul Husain Adamjee Peerbhoy as Chairman, Reception Committee and Mazhar-ul-Haque as the President. The most important resolution was the appointment of committee to formulate a scheme of reforms in consultation with other political organizations to be presented to the next meeting of the AIML Council.

1916 1916-10 October. At a meeting of Council of the AIML it was decided to make M.A. Jinnah president of the next session of the AIML at Lucknow.

1916-30-31 December. Ninth session of AIML held at Lucknow with Nabiullah as Chairman, Reception Committee and Jinnah as President. Several Congress leaders attended the session. The session approved the Joint Scheme of Reforms formulated by the Congress and League representatives. Popularly known as the Lucknow Pact, that scheme was also approved by the Indian National Congress. Most of the credit for getting it formulated goes to Jinnah who was hailed as the architect of the Lucknow Pact.

1917

1917-6 May. A meeting of the Council of the AIML was held at Lucknow which decided that an AIML Deputation consisting of the Raja Sahib of Mahmudabad, Mazhar-ul-Haq, and M.A. Jinnah should visit England.

1917-28-29 July. Joint meeting of the All-India Congress Committee and Council of the AIML was held at Bombay to prepare the joint representation to the Viceroy and the Secretary of State for India.

1917-26 November. A joint Deputation of Indian National Congress and the AIML met the Viceroy in Delhi and presented a joint memorandum. M.A. Jinnah played a leading role in the deputation.

1917/1918

1917/1918 30 December-1 January. 1918. The Tenth Annual Session of the AIML held at Calcutta. Resolutions adopted included those on Dacca University; Muslim representation in all the provinces; and immediate introduction of a bill embodying the Congress-League Reforms Scheme of December 1916.

1918

1918-14 September. An extraordinary general meeting of the Bengal Presidency Muslim League held at Calcutta with Maulvi A.K. Fazlul Haq as President. The meeting was held to consider the ban imposed by the government on holding public meetings in Calcutta. 1919 1919 - 27 August. An AIML Deputation consisting of Junnah, Hasan Imam, G.M. Bhurgri and Yakub Hasan submitted a memorial to the British Prime Minister regarding Muslims, Turkey and Peace.

1919-29-31 December. Twelfth Session of the AIML was held at Amristar, with Hakim Ajmal Khan as President. Resolutions adopted included those demanding adequate Muslim representation in the public services, Government Universities bodies; retention of Urdu language and Persian characters in the courts; enforcement of Muslim religious rights in their rites, ceremonies and usages without any restrictions; justice in the Punjab (Jillianwala Bagh case) and recall of Lord Chelmsford; and strongly opposed the contemplated dismemberment of Turkey; and regretted the denial of “complete self-government ... in the reforms recently enacted...” but welcomed the Act of 1919.

1920

1920-7 September. An extraordinary Session of the AIML held at Calcutta, with M.A. Jinnah as President and Hakim Maulana Abdur Rauf as Chairman, Reception Committee. Several Congress and Hindu leaders attended as guests. The meeting condemned the imposition of Martial Law in the Punjab and said that “what we want is true political freedom of the people, not posts and positions in the Government”.

1920-30-31 December. Thirteenth session of the AIML held at Nagpur, with Dr M.A. Ansari as President. The main resolution sought to amend the AIML Rule No. 2 and to include the attainment of Swaraj by the people of India by all peaceful and legitimate means among the AIML objects.

1921

1921-30-31 December. Fourteenth session of the AIML held at Ahmadabad, with Maulana Hasrat Mohani as President and Abbas Tayabji as Chairman, Reception Committee, who proposed that the AIML should “cease” to function as a separate body, since the League and the Congress had the same object in view. Resolutions adopted included those congratulating “Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha upon the success” in the Greco-Turkish War; and urging extension of the AIML activities by the formation of Provincial and District Leagues. Hasrat Mohani proposed the establishment of an Indian Republic or a United States of India.

1923

1923-31 March-1 April. Fifteenth session of the AIML held at Lucknow with G.M. Bhurgri as President and Shaikh Shahid Hussain as Chairman, Reception Committee. Jinnah’s resolution recommending entry into Councils was debated for five hours without a definite conclusion, and the session was adjourned to the next day.

1924

1924-24-25 May. The adjourned Fifteenth session of the AIML was held at Lahore with M.A. Jinnah as President, and Agha Mohammed Safdar as Chairman, Reception Committee. In his address, Jinnah declared that the AIML, which had gone into the background due to the ill-advised issues of Non-Cooperation, Rowlat Bill, Khilafat question etc., had decided to come again into the forefront. He advocated Council-entry, as proposed by the Special Session of the Congress at Delhi, in September 1923.

Resolutions adopted included those condemning Hindu-Muslim riots; measures to popularize the AIML at the district, tehsil and village levels; rejection of the Government of India Act 1919, terming it “... wholly unsatisfactory and altogether inadequate to meet the requirements of the country...”; and demanding a “complete overhaul” of the Act; and reforms in NWFP, to make it as a full-fledged province.

1924-30-31 December. Sixteenth annual session of the AIML was held at Bombay with Shariff Deoje Canji as Chairman, Reception Committee and Syed Raza Ali as President.

1925

1925-30-31 December. Seventeenth session of AIML was held at Aligarh with Sir Abdur Rahim as President and Sheikh Abdullah as Chairman, Reception Committee. Jinnah moved a resolution observing that although in the opinion of the League the present constitution was unsatisfactory, the Muslim representatives in various legislatures should utilize the reforms as far as they went.

1926

1926-29-31 December. Eighteenth Annual Session of AIML held at Delhi with Khan Bahadur Pirzada Muhammad Hussain as Chairman, Reception Committee and Sheikh Abdul Qadir as President. Allama Iqbal also attended this session. Resolutions adopted included those demanding for an early appointment of a Royal Constitution Commission to frame a new constitution for the country.

1927

1927-20 March. On an invitation by Jinnah, President of the AIML, a meeting of Muslim League leaders was held at Delhi for settling the issue of electorates and other matters of Muslim interest so that an advance could be made with the non-Muslim parties to frame a common constitution. Jinnah presided over this meeting of 27 leaders.

The Muslim leaders agreed to discard separate electorates in favour of weightage of 1/3 representation to be given to the Muslims both in the Central Assembly as well as in the Central Cabinet, and proportional representation in the Punjab. Separation of Sindh from Bombay.

1927-17 April. The All-India Hindu Mahasabaha in its meeting at Patna accepted the AIML proposed package for joint electorates but rejected the idea of separation of Sindh from Bombay Presidency.

1927-1 May. A meeting of the Punjab Muslim League was held in Lahore under the presidentship of Sir Muhammad Shafi in which on a motion by Sir Muhammad Iqbal a resolution was adopted which “reiterated the League’s conviction that in the existing political conditions in this country separate communal electorates provided the only effective means of making the central and provincial legislatures truly representative of the Indian people, and the League was emphatically of the opinion that as long as an equally effective guarantee was not forthcoming, the Muslim Community could not but continue to insist on the retention of Communal electorates as an essential element of the Indian Constitution”.

1927-29 August. Alarmed by Hindu-Muslim tussle Jinnah arranged a Unity Conference in Simla which was participated by, among others, Maulana Mohamed Ali Jauhar, Lajpat Rai, Maulana Shaukat Ali, Dr. M.A. Ansari, Pandit M.M. Malviya and Pandit Motilal Nehru. Various committees were appointed to resolve the Hindu-Muslim problem.

1927-16 November. An all Parties Conference was held in Bombay attended by Jinnah and other Hindu-Muslim leaders. They decided to boycott the Commission as no Indian was included in the Commission. 1927 - December. The AIML was divided into two groups - Jinnah group and the Shafi group - each holding its separate meetings and sessions.

1927/1928

1927/1928-30-31 December-1 January 1928. Nineteenth session of the AIML Jinnah Group held in Calcutta with Majibur Rahman as Chairman, Reception Committee, and Moulvi Mohammad Yakub as President. Resolutions adopted included those announcing the rejection of Statutory Commission as well as the announced related procedure; appointing a subcommittee by the AIML Council to confer with the Working Committee of Indian National Congress; electing Mohammad Ali Jinnah as President of AIML for 3 years; condemning Sir Muhammad Shafi and his colleagues for their rebellious action against the AIML authority; and deploring the Punjab Provincial Muslim League’s violating action against the parent body.

1928

1928-31 December - 1 January 1928. Nineteenth Session of the AIML held at Lahore with Nawab Sir Zulfiqar Ali Khan as Chairman, Reception Committee and Sir Muhammad Shafi as President. Dr Muhammad Iqbal was Secretary of the Group. Resolutions adopted included those inviting non-Muslim communities of India for co-operation with Muslims for a joint Draft Constitution for India, supporting the Simon Commission; and authorizing the Council to draft a new constitution for AIML.

1928-22 June. Dr Muhammad Iqbal resigned from the secretaryship of the AIML Shafi League for his differences with Shafi regarding the latter’s memorandum to the Simon Commission.

1928-8 September. Maulvi Muhammad Yakub, President of AIML, issued a statement in which he clarified that the AIML had not approved the All-Parties Report and amendments in the Report properly known as the Nehru Report announced in August 1928.

1928-26-30 December. Twentieth session of AIML held at Calcutta with Moulvi Abdul Karim as Chairman, Reception Committee, and Mohammad Ali Mohammad Khan, Maharaja of Mahmudabad as President.

Resolutions adopted included those forming a delegation to attend the Convention called by the Indian National Congress and resolving to adjust various outstanding questions between Hindus and Muslims regarding the Nehru Report.

1929

1929-3 March. With M.A. Jinnah in the Chair, a representative meeting of the Council of the AIML was held at the League’s Office, Delhi, in which members of Shafi and Jinnah groups participated. Both the groups consented to participate in the forthcoming meeting of AIML on 30 March.

It was generally agreed that a democratized Muslim League would be the only authoritative organization of the Muslim community.

The meeting authorised M.A. Jinnah “... to negotiate with the representatives of various groups in the League regarding the form which the Moslem demands should take, and to place an agreed formula before the League’s session”.

1929-28 March. A meeting of the Council of the AIML was held at Delhi with Jinnah as President. He presented a resolution since known, as the (Fourteen) 14 Points to accommodate the various points of view with regard to the policy and programme of the Muslim League regarding the forthcoming constitutional reforms.

1930

1930-28 February. A meeting of the Council of the AIML was held in Delhi in which the two sections of the Muslim League - Shafi group and the Jinnah group - finally announced their merger into the AIML, headed by Jinnah and making Jinnah’s 14 Points as a united demand of AIML.

1930-29-30 December. Twenty-first session of the AIML was held at Allahabad with Muhammad Hussain as Chairman, Reception Committee, and Dr. Muhammad Iqbal as President. In his Presidential Address, Dr. Mohammad Iqbal observed, “I would like to see the Punjab, the North-West Frontier Province, Sindh and Baluchistan amalgamate into a single state.

Self-government within the British Empire, the formation of consolidated North-West Indian Muslim State appears to me to be the final destiny of the Muslims at least of North-West India”.

1931

1931-15 March. A meeting of the Council of the AIML was held in New Delhi. The Council elected Sir Muhammad Shafi as President of the AIML in place of Mr. M.A. Jinnah, and Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz becomes as the first woman member of the Council.

The Council placed on record its “sincere appreciation of the invaluable services of Mr M.A. Jinnah to the Muslim community in general and the Muslim League in particular during many years of his public life”.

Resolutions adopted include those criticizing the government inaction regarding the demand for reforms in Baluchistan; expressing satisfaction on the retention of separate electorate at the Round Table Conference; and welcoming the provincial status of the NWFP and separation of Sindh from Bombay.

1931

1931-26-27 December. Twenty-second session of the AIML was held at Delhi with Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah as Chairman, Reception Committee and Choudhury Zafarullah Khan as President. The Ahrars demonstrated against Ch. Zafarullah’s acting as President of the AIML. Resolutions adopted included those concerning the statement of the Prime Minister at the Round Table Conference on 1 December 1931, and reaffirming that the future constitution should certain the safeguards for the Muslims full autonomy to the provinces Sindh’s separation from Bombay and Residuary Powers for the component units in the Federal Constitution.

1933

1933-12 March. A meeting of the Council of the AIML was held at Delhi. In a resolution the Muslim League requested Jinnah to return to India to give lead to Muslims at that critical juncture.

1933-25-26 November. Twenty-third session of the AIML (Hidayat Group) was held at Delhi with Hafiz Hidayat Hussain as President and Haji Rashid Ahmed as Chairman, Reception Committee.

Resolutions adopted included those suggesting that the expected presence of H.H. the Aga Khan and Mohammad Ali Jinnah be used for bringing unity in the ranks of the AIML; and supporting extended franchise for women.

1934

1934-4 March. A meeting of the Council of the AIML was held at New Delhi to welcome Jinnah who had come on a short visit to India from London. It was because of Jinnah’s presence that both the groups of AIML - Aziz group and Hidayat group - were merged together and it was urged upon Jinnah to return to British India to lead the AIML as a unified body of the Muslims. Jinnah was elected President of the united Muslim League.

1934-1-2 April. A meeting of the Council of the AIML was held in New Delhi with M.A. Jinnah as President. On his arrival from England M.A. Jinnah was given “an enthusiastic welcome”.

He “...made a striking appeal for unity among all the Muslim organizations with a view to confront the Government with united demands. Resolutions adopted included those accepting the Communal Award “so far as it goes, until a substitute is agreed upon...”; and resolving to revive the Provincial Muslim League.

1935

1935-26-27 January. A meeting of the Council of the AIML was held in New Delhi with M.A. Jinnah as President. It discussed the issue of Communal Award and decided to negotiate with other parties for co-operation only after the general acceptance of the Communal Award.

1935-16 February. A meeting of the Council of the AIML was held in New Delhi with M.A. Jinnah as President. The meeting passed a resolution repeating its earlier demand “that Balochistan should be made a separate province and reforms should be introduced in that province”.

1935-30 December. A meeting of the Council of the AIML was held in New Delhi with M.A. Jinnah as President. It resolved to hold the next session of the League on 11 April in Bombay.

The Council also agreed to invite Jinnah to retain the office of the President of the League till the end of the League’s session in 1937. Jinnah proposed the name of Sir Fazl-i-Hussain for the presidency of the next session provided he agrees.

1935-31 December. The Board of All-India Muslim Conference decided to merge the party with the AIML. Nawab of Chattari, President of the Conference, and Sir Mohammad Yakub, Secretary of the Conference, resigned from their offices.

1936

1936-11-12 April. Twenty-fourth session of the AIML was held at Bombay with Sir Syed Wazir Hasan as President and Sir Currimbhoy Ebrahim as Chairman, Reception Committee. Resolutions adopted included those offering gratitude to Mohammad Ali Jinnah for his “valuable services” in connection with the Shahidganj Mosque question “at a time when no other leader could venture to undertake the responsibility...”; and appointing a committee to amend the rules of the AIML.

1936-8 June. The first meeting of the Muslim League’s Central Parliamentary Board was held in Lahore at the residence of Mian Abdul Aziz, with Jinnah as President. Among others, Sir Mohammad Iqbal attended this meeting. The programme for the next election was chalked out.

1936-15 August. Addressing a gathering of Muslims in Lucknow, Jinnah said that “... for the last 30 years of its existence the AIML had been nothing more than a mere academic body with no real contact with the Muslim masses and that it was high time to make it a living organization and that the passing of the Government of India Act of 1935 had afforded the best opportunity for the community to organize itself.”

1936-12 October. The Muslim League Parliamentary Board’s election campaign was inaugurated by Jinnah. Speaking on this occasion at Lahore, Jinnah said that “Muslims of the Punjab are my right arm. Are you going to desert the Muslims of India.”

1937

1937-15 February. Sh. Abdul Majid, leader of the Sindh Muslim League won election from Larkana against Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto, leader of the Sindh United Party and official adviser to the Governor of Sindh and ex-Minister, Govt. of Bombay.

1937-25 April. A meeting of the U.P. Muslim League Parliamentary Board was held at Lucknow under the presidentship of Nawab Muhammad Ismail Khan.

1937-27 April. Malik Barkat Ali, who represented the Muslim League in the Punjab Assembly, in a statement said that the Muslim masses were “solidly” behind men like Jinnah and Sir Mohammad Iqbal.

1941

1941-22 February. A meeting of the Working Committee of the AIML was held at Delhi with Jinnah as President. The meeting re-affirmed the Pakistan Plan of the AIML. It also opposed the Satyagarh launched by the Congress. __, It was followed by the meeting of the Council of AIML presided over by Jinnah in which the Council unanimously elected Jinnah as the President of the year. One member suggested that Jinnah should be elected President of the League for life. The Honorary Secretary, Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan said that the proposal could be adopted by amending the constitution. Jinnah, while expressing appreciation of the confidence of the Muslims of India as shown in him, said that they should never elect a man as life President, whosoever he might be. “Let me come to you at the end of every year and seek your vote and your confidence. Let your President be on his good behaviour”.

1941-12-15 April. Twenty-eighth session of the AIML was held at Madras with Jinnah as President and Abdul Hamid Khan as Chairman, Reception Committee. Resolutions adopted included those reiterating the demand for “Pakistan”; amending the AIML constitution to accommodate that demand; terming the Congress’ Civil Disobedience movement as aiming at the consolidation of Hindu power in India; asking the government not to postpone ensuing elections at least in the provinces where provincial autonomy was already working under the Government of India Act 1935, and also in the NWFP; and forming a Committee to draft the constitution and rules for the Muslim National Guards.

1941-24-26 August. An AIML Working Committee meeting was held at Bombay with M.A. Jinnah as President. Resolutions adopted included those allowing ten days’ time to Sir Sultan Ahmad and Begum Shah Nawaz, the former to resign from the membership of the Viceroy’s expanded Executive Council and the later from the National Defence Council. Nawab of Chhattari, who had been nominated to the Defence Council, was asked to resign his seat from the Council before assuming office of the presidentship of H.E.H. the Nizam’s State Council. In pursuance of this decision the three members of the League resigned from their respective offices; hence no action was deemed advisable.

1942

1942 - 3-6 April. Twenty-ninth session of the AIML was held at Allahabad, with Jinnah as President and Nawab Sir Mohammad Yusuf as Chairman, Reception Committee. Resolution adopted included those affirming that “... Muslim had implicit faith in Mr. Jinnah, and [that] no one would feel reluctant in giving him this authority, which would be used by him to the best interest of the Muslims and the country”; electing Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan as Honorary Secretary and Raja Mohammad Amir Ahmad Khan of Mahmodabad as the Honorary Treasure of AIML for the next term; endorsing A.K. Fazul Huq’s expulsion from the League; demanding lifting of the ban on the Khaksar Movement.

1942 - 12 April. A meeting of the Working Committee of the AIML was held at Delhi, with M.A. Jinnah as President. The meeting declared that the Cripps proposals in their present form were not acceptable. Jinnah presided.

1942-15 July. Memon Chamber of Commerce and Memon Merchants Association, Bombay, presented a purse of Rs. 17,000/- to Jinnah, in a ceremony held in Bombay. In his address Jinnah stressed the need for more funds for the Muslim League.

1942-16-20 August. A meeting of the Working Committee of the AIML was held in Bombay with Jinnah as President. At this opposition to the present policy of the Congress was voiced. Resolutions adopted included those calling upon the Muslims to keep aloof from the Congress’ “Quit India” movement as “it is detrimental to the interests of Muslims”.

1942-13 September. In a press conference at New Delhi, Jinnah declared: “My fundamental point is this, that we do not want, under the stress of the war emergency, to be stampeded into forming a provisional government which should be of such a character and composition as would prejudge, prejudice or militate against the Muslim demand for Pakistan”.

In answer to a question put by an American correspondent, Jinnah said: “The Muslim League is not supporting the war effort. It is not that the Muslim League is recalcitrant or inimical, but it is unable to give wholehearted and enthusiastic support and cooperation in the prosecution of the war unless people feel they have their real voice and share in the Government of the country”.

1942-23 October. Sir Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah, Premier of Sindh, had joined the Muslim League.

1943

1943-3 March. A resolution on Pakistan - the first of its kind to be passed by any provincial legislature - was passed by the Sindh Legislative Assembly. 24 members casted their votes in favour while 3 Hindu members including 2 ministers voted against it. European members remained neutral. Seven members belonging to non-official Hindu block walked out of the Assembly. This resolution was moved by G.M. Syed, member of the Working Committee of the AIML.

1943-7 March. An AIML Council meeting was held at Delhi with M.A. Jinnah as President. Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan announced amidst prolonged cheers that all the provincial Leagues had unanimously recommended Jinnah's name for the Presidentship. Resolution adopted include those approving the decision of the Sindh Provincial Legislative Assembly in endorsing the principle of Pakistan Scheme adopted by the Lahore Resolution of the AIML on the 23 March 1940 and feeling confident that before long other Muslim majority provinces would follow suit.

1943-24-26 April. Thirtieth Session of the AIML was held at Delhi with Jinnah as President, and Hussain Malik as Chairman, Reception Committee. On 23 April, the flag hoisting ceremony was held.

1943-17 October. The Council of the All-India States Muslim League which concluded its two-day session in Nagpur, discussed mainly the question relating to the affairs in Kashmir.

The Council passed a lengthy resolution strongly protesting against the ban on the entry of its President, Nawab Bahadur Yar Jang, demanding the appointment of Prime Minister of the State of a man who commanded the confidence of all communities and appealing to the Government of India to exert its influence to improve the present situation in Kashmir.

1944

1944-27 May. A meting of the AIML Committee of Action was held at Lahore. The Committee decided that Malik Khizr Hayat Khan Tiwana should be forthwith expelled from the membership of the AIML and should be ineligible to become a member in future till working Committee of the AIML removed this ban against him.

1945

1945-28 February. Jinnah, has sent a strongly worded telegram to G.M. Syed, President of the Sindh Muslim League, denouncing his action in "letting down his leader and party". This is revealed in the telegraphic correspondence between him and Syed which Jinnah released to the press.

1945-12 March. Sardar Aurangzeb Khan, the Frontier Premier, belonging to the Muslim League, submitted the resignation of the Ministry to the Governor, following the passing of a no-confidence motion against the Ministry in the Assembly today by 24 votes to 18. The Governor, however, had asked Sardar Aurangzeb Khan to continue till His Excellency made alternative arrangements.

1945-20 September. Mian Iftikhar-ud-Din, President of the Punjab Provincial Congress Committee, had resigned from the Congress and joined the Muslim League. He recently submitted his resignation from the Presidentship of the Punjab Provincial Congress Committee.

1945-25 October. The Muslim League High Command and the Sindh Muslim League Parliamentary Board under the presidentship of Jinnah decided the names for candidates to contest elections from different Sindh Assembly and Central Assembly seats from Sindh. G.M. Syed and his group were absent from the meeting.

1945-26 October. Jinnah warned G.M. Syed not to defy the decision of the Central Parliamentary Board of the AIML which was against the League rules.

1945-26 December. G.M. Syed, President of the Sindh Provincial Muslim League, resigned his membership of the Working Committee as well as the Action Committee of the AIML as a protest against the manner in which the League "High Command" handled the Sindh situation.

1946

1946-2 January. G.M. Syed, President of the Sindh Provincial Muslim League was expelled from the AIML by the Action Committee of the League which met in Meerut today. The Committee also expelled ten other members of the official League candidates from the Sindh Assembly.

1946-30-31 March-4 and 6 April. An AIML Working Committee meeting was held at Delhi with M.A. Jinnah as President, to discuss basically the Cabinet Mission proposals.

1946-7-9 April. The Muslim League Legislatures' Convention was held in Delhi, with Jinnah as President. During his address Jinnah and other speakers emphasized that a diluted Pakistan was not acceptable to them. Winding up the session, Jinnah said that the august and historic convention of the Muslim nation had declared itself for Pakistan. "While we hope for the best", he said,

"We are prepared for the worst." They were prepared to make every sacrifice for the attainment of Pakistan. "Pakistan" Jinnah said, "was not going to be a theocratic state." The main resolution adopted at the Convention demanded Pakistan as a single state, thus amending the Lahore Resolution.

1946-16 May. British Cabinet Mission announced its plan for Union of British India and States. These came to be known as the Cabinet Mission's Proposals.

1946-5 June. A meeting of the Council of the AIML was held in New Delhi to discuss the Cabinet Mission Scheme. Jinnah presided. Addressing the Council, Jinnah said: "So far as Pakistan is concerned let me tell you that Muslim India will not rest content until we have established full complete sovereign Pakistan".

1946-6 June. The Council of the AIML this evening unanimously adopted a resolution accepting the Cabinet Mission's Proposals. The resolution was on the lines of Jinnah's opening speech at yesterday's meeting of the Council. As anticipated, it was strongly critical of the reasons advanced by the Mission for the rejection of the Pakistan demand and reiterated the League's determination to achieve its goal.

At the same time, the resolution acknowledged that the Mission's scheme offers scope for the eventual attainment of the League's cherished objective. For this reason and for the sake of the peaceful evolution of India's future constitution, the resolution accepted the Mission's plan. Jinnah was authorized to negotiate details.

1946-19 June. Jinnah, has asked for clarification on five points relating to the composition of the Interim Government and had stoutly opposed the nomination of a non-League Muslim, said Jinnah in a letter addressed to the Viceroy this evening.

1946-25 June. An AIML Working Committee meeting was held in Delhi with Jinnah as President. The main resolution adopted at the meeting concerned the AIML's decision to join the Interim Government conditionally.

1946-25 June. As expected, the Congress had accepted the long-term plan of the Cabinet Mission, having already rejected the interim proposals, while the League had accepted the short-term scheme, having agreed to cooperate in the long term proposals as well.

1946-13 July. Jinnah, in a statement contradicted Pandit Nehru's interpretation of Cabinet Mission Plan. Jinnah said: "Pandit Nehru's interpretation of the Congress acceptance of the Cabinet Mission's proposals of 16 May is a complete repudiation of the basic form upon which the long-term scheme rests and all its fundamentals and terms and obligations and rights of parties accepting the scheme". This statement was issued from Hyderabad (Deccan).

1946-29 July. Amidst unprecedented scenes of enthusiasm and wild cheering, the Council of the AIML resolved to withdraw the acceptance of the British Cabinet Mission's plan and to resort to direct action "to achieve Pakistan, to assert their just rights, to vindicate their honour and to get rid of the present British slavery and the contemplated future Caste Hindu domination". Winding up the session, Jinnah remarked that the decision amounted to a departure from constitutional methods hitherto pursued by the League.

1946-13 October. The AIML was understood to have decided to join the Interim Government.
1946-15 October. The Muslim League decided to join the Interim Government, it is officially announced here today, and His Majesty the King has been pleased to appoint the following to be members of the Interim Government:

(1) Liaquat Ali Khan,
(2) I.I. Chundrigar,
(3) Abdur Rab Nishtar,
(4) Ghazanfar Ali Khan, and
(5) Jogendra Nath Mandal.

1946-25 October. The storm that burst over the horizon of the Interim Government yesterday evening has blown over, the Congress office to give up finance in favour of the League has been accepted.

1946-21 November. In a statement, Jinnah said that no representative of the Muslim League would participate in the Constituent Assembly and that the Bombay resolution of the Muslim League Council passed on 29 July stood intact.
1946-6 December. The R.T.C. talks on India finished after lasting for one hour and ten minutes. The Indian leaders met in conference with the Prime Minister Mr. Attlee, and members of the Cabinet Mission at No.10, Downing Street, London.

1947

1947-20 February. Attlee, British Prime Minister, announced in the House of Commons that Britain will leave India by June 1948.

1947-4 April. It is learnt on good authority that some very prominent Unionist Muslim MLAs have assured the League and accordingly influenced the governor on behalf of all the Muslim Unionist members in the Assembly that they would support a Muslim League Ministry in the Punjab.

1947-23 April. Jinnah had a three-hour interview with His Excellency Lord Mountbatten this afternoon. This was the Muslim League leader's seventh meeting with the Viceroy, first being on 5 April and the last on 10 April.
1947-11 May. Jinnah today said in New Delhi that if the British decide that India must be divided, "then the Central Government must be dissolved and all power should be transferred to the two Constituent Assemblies formed and representing Pakistan and Hindustan".

1947-3 June. The Partition Plan prepared by Lord Mountbatten keeping in the principle of Pakistan by dividing Punjab and Bengal announced with the approval of Jinnah, Gandhi, Nehru, and Baldev Singh. Partition is to come through various stages. Nehru, Jinnah and Baldev Singh also spoke on the Indian Radio, accepting the Plan. Jinnah's acceptance was on the plea that the AIML Council in its meeting to be held on 9 June will accept the plan.

1947-5 June. Lord Mountbatten is determined not to allow the grass to grow under his feet. The foundations of the separation were laid this morning when His Excellency met the seven representative Indian leaders - Pandit Nehru, Sardar V. Patel, Acharya J.H. Kirplani, Jinnah, Liaquat Ali Khan, Sardar Abdul Rab Nishtar and Sardar Baldev Singh "to discuss with them a paper handed to them at the previous meeting on the administrative consequences which would ensure, if partition is decided upon, and the machinery which it would be necessary to set up to give effect to partition".
1947-9-10 June. An AIML Council meeting was held in Delhi with Jinnah as President. Resolutions adopted included those accepting the scheme of 3 June "as a compromise" and authorizing Jinnah to work out the details and deal with the problems as they arise.

1947-23 June. The Punjab is to be partitioned. The members of the Provincial Assembly in their meeting in Lahore gave their verdict this morning. At a joint session of the two sections of the Punjab Assembly - Western and Eastern Punjab - held with Dewan Bahadur S.P. Singha in the chair, 91 members voted for the new Constituent Assembly and 77 for the present Constituent Assembly. Before the joint sitting, the two sections met separately.

In the Western Punjab section, Lala Bhimsen Sachar, leader of the Congress Party, and Malik Firoz Khan Noon, on behalf of the Muslim League Party, demanded a joint sitting of the two sections. A joint meeting was accordingly arranged within 15 minutes, and the House gave its verdict in favour of a new Constituent Assembly. Thereafter, two sections met again separately. The 91 members who voted in favour of the Punjab joining a new Constituent Assembly at the joint session of the Assembly included 88 Muslims, two Indian Christians and one Anglo-Indian.
The Hindu, Sikh, and Scheduled Caste representatives numbering 77 voted for the present Constituent Assembly. The 88 Muslims included 8 Muslim Unionists, led by Sir Khizr Hayat Khan Tiwana.

1947-28 June. In a statement to the press, Jinnah, said that the resolution of the Frontier Congress demanding a free Pathan State of all the Pakhtoons is a direct breach of the acceptance by the Congress of H.M.G.'s Plan of 3 June.
1947-2 July. For the second day in succession the five Indian leaders, Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, Sardar V. Patel, M.A. Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan, assembled in the Viceroy's house in Delhi today to study the draft India Bill, which will confer Dominion Status on India and Pakistan.

1947-4 July. Two independent Dominions, known as India and Pakistan, will come into existence on 15 August 1947, under the provisions of the Indian Independence Bill introduced in Parliament today - i.e. House of Commons.
1947-10 July. British Prime Minister Attlee announced today in the House of Commons that the present Viceroy of India, Admiral Lord Mountbatten had been recommended as Governor-General of India and Mohammad Ali Jinnah as Governor-General of Pakistan.

1947-13 July. As the result of referendum in Sylhet it is officially declared that Sylhet has decided to join Pakistan. Congratulatory cables and letters were also received by Jinnah in this connection.

1947-18 July. After being passed by the Houses of Commons and House of Lords, the Indian Independence Bill was today signed by the British King.

1947-20 July. In the NWFP referendum, 50.49 percent. A 'communique' issued from the Viceroy's this afternoon said: The following are the results of the NWFP referendum:

1. Valid votes for Pakistan: 2,89,244
2. Valid votes for India: 2,874
3. Majority: 2,86,370
4. Percentage of valid votes to the electorate entitled was 50.99 percent.
5. Valid votes cast in the last election were 3,75,989.
6. The total electorate entitled to vote in the referendum was 5,72,798.
Therefore, the votes for Pakistan were 50.49 percent. The number of non-Muslim voters on the electoral roll is

84,781.

1947-10 August. The constitutional foundation of the dominion of Pakistan was stated here today in Sindh's historic capital amidst scenes of animation. The inaugural session of the Pakistan Constituent Assembly began at 10:00 a.m. in the old Sindh Assembly Hall and was attended by 52 out of the 69 members. It lasted an hour. Jogendra Nath Mandal was elected chairman for the day after his name has been proposed by Liaquat Ali Khan.

1947-11 August. Jinnah elected President of the Pakistan Constituent Assembly unanimously. On his election this morning as President of the Pakistan Constituent Assembly, Jinnah, Governor-General designate of the new Dominion, declared that the constitution framed by the House would be an example to the whole world.

1947-15 August. Junnah was sworn in as Pakistan's first Governor-General in Karachi. Liaquat Ali Khan, as Prime Minister, and other members of his cabinet were also sworn in Karachi as Pakistan Government.
1947-17 August. The Award of the Punjab and Bengal Boundary Commission presided over by Sir Cyril Radcliffe, was announced in Delhi today. 1947-22 August. Dr. Khan Sahib's Ministry was today dismissed from office and the Governor has invited Khan Abdul Qayum Khan, Leader of the Opposition in the NWFP Legislative Assembly to form the Ministry, states a communiqué from Government House, Peshawar this afternoon.

1947-14-15 December. An AIML Council meeting was held in Karachi with Jinnah as President. The proceedings which lasted altogether about six hours over the two days were held in camera. Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, dressed in a black sherwani and wearing a black Jinnah cap, entered the Khalikdina Hall on 15 Dec., where the session was held at 10:45 p.m. after which the doors were closed for the in-camera session. When Quaid-i-Azam Jinnah, accompanied by Miss Fatima Jinnah came out of the hall, he was greeted by thousands who had lined the roadside with shouts of "Pakistan Zindabad" and "Quaid-i-Azam Zindabad".

Resolution adopted include those deciding to set up separate Muslim League organizations for Pakistan and the Indian Union.

Source: Dr. Riaz Ahmad, All India Muslim League and the Creation of Pakistan, Islamabad: National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research, 2006. Abridged by Yasir Hanif, Pakistan Study Centre, University of Karachi.

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