What the youth of Pakistan can learn from the Quaid

There is much that our nation needs to learn from our great leader, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and there are many lessons from his life that the youth in particular will benefit from.

Tall, lean and upright, the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, radiated an abundance of vitality. When he would walk, he would walk tall; when he would talk, he would talk vociferously. Indeed, he was a remarkable man in many respects. It is largely due to his efforts that today we live in a country we can call our own.

To win freedom for the Muslims of the Subcontinent, the Quaid went through fire and water till the end, but eventually emerged as a victor we all look up to.

Determination

Jinnah was a man of firm determination. He would take all factors into consideration and try to foresee every possibility in his efforts to take the right decision. But once he arrived at a decision, he would remain adamant about it.   

The Muslim League, under the Quaid, formally put forward its demand for Pakistan for the very first time in 1940 as the ‘Lahore Resolution’, and it was seven years later that Pakistan actually came into being. During those seven years, several events occurred that would have changed the minds of many people: both the Hindus and the British were vehemently opposed to the idea of Pakistan. Jinnah, however, remained firm in his decision. And time proved him right.

Ability to work hard

One of the foremost qualities of the Quaid that the youth of Pakistan should emulate was that he was accustomed to working tirelessly. Although Jinnah was suffering from tuberculosis, he kept fighting for what he believed was a practical solution to the problems faced by the Muslim community. 

Jinnah once said in an address to the All Indian Muslim Students Conference in 1942: “I insist you to strive. Work, work and only work for satisfaction with patience, humbleness and serve your nation.”

Even after the establishment of Pakistan, Jinnah did not sit back and relax. He, with the same vigour, worked to setup the newly-emerged state. He took the role of Chief Executive in the new government. He chaired cabinet meetings and was the President of the Constituent Assembly. His sister, Fatimah Jinnah later wrote in her book, My Brother: “Even in his hour of triumph, the Quaid-i-Azam was gravely ill… he worked in a frenzy to consolidate Pakistan. And, of course, he totally neglected his health.”

Goodness

Jinnah was a genuinely good person who felt deeply for the Muslims of the Subcontinent and fought to protect them from Hindu-dominance and oppression. He did not do this for fame or money — he had both. Even before entering politics, Jinnah was a highly successful lawyer.

So today, let each one of us take a pledge that we will embrace the values handed down by the Quaid and reflect them in our practices. From now onwards, we will work tirelessly for the betterment of this country as he did for its foundation and consolidation.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 25th, 2015