KARACHI: Recalling the struggle for Pakistan, speakers at a seminar held at Karachi University (KU) on Thursday regretted that the nation had fallen short of achieving the objectives which led to the creation of the country, emphasising the need for knowing the country’s history, its great leaders and realising their dreams.

Titled ‘Quaid-i-Azam aur Akabreen-i-Millat’, the event was organised by the Karachi University Officers Welfare Association (KUWA) and the Sindh Universities Officers Federation.

Highlighting the services of Pakistan Movement leaders, the speakers said the struggle for an independent country had the staunch support of the majority of spiritual and religious leaders of that time who backed Jinnah with all their means and made an effort to convince people that no one else but Jinnah had the ability to lead them.

These leaders, they said, actually played a critical role in mobilising the masses for the Pakistan cause.

“There was a long list of leaders who supported Jinnah. He also focused on how to motivate and mobilise the youth because he realised that he couldn’t succeed without their help,” director of the Quaid-i-Azam Academy Khawaja Razi Haider said in his speech.

Recalling his argument he once had with Indian politician Jaswant Singh over his book in which he (Jaswant Singh) stated that the partition could never have occurred if Nehru and Gandhi hadn’t agreed over it, Mr Haider said: “I told him that all Muslims were behind Jinnah and Pakistan would come into being, even if they (Nehru and Gandhi) hadn’t agreed over partition.”

The speakers also recalled the services of Pir Syed Jamaat Ali Shah, who, they said, was a big supporter of the Pakistan movement. He gave open support to the Pakistan cause and Jinnah and was instrumental in getting popular support for the Muslim League, they said.

Speakers included Peer Syed Munawar Hussain Shah Jamati, custodian of Hazrath Peer Jamat Ali Shah Alipur Syedan Shareef; Prof Sahebzada Fareeduddin Qadri; TV host of a religious/spiritual programme Mohammad Junaid Iqbal; Sardar Yasin Malik and Mohammad Tariq Khan representing the officers’ association at the KU.

A large collection of Jinnah’s letters and newspaper clippings of Pakistan Movement from the university’s library were also put on display on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2018