THE Lahore resolution, as it was called on March 23, 1940, became the Pakistan Resolution following the 29th annual session of the All India Muslim League held at Allahabad in April 1942 followed by the 30th annual session of the All-India Muslim League under the leadership of the Quaid-i-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, at New Delhi between April 24 to 26, 1943.

The original resolution of 1940 mentions states, not one state of Pakistan. But the Congress party’s criticism, and Gandhi’s virulently critical letters to the Quaid forced the Muslim nation to convert the Lahore resolution into a Pakistan resolution.

The resolution passed on April 19, 1946 at the Delhi convention, clarified doubts about the word ‘states’ in the original Lahore Resolution. It demanded `an unequivocal understanding be given to implement the establishment of Pakistan without delay’.

Towards the end of 1930, Allama lqbal used the word ‘community’ for the Muslim population in his address at Allahabad. It was Chaudhry Rehmat Ali who used the word ‘nation’ for Muslims in his pamphlet ‘Now or Never’ (1932).

The intolerance of the Hindus forced the Muslims to realise that their rights would be trampled under Hindu Raj. All efforts for Hindu-Muslim amity by Muslim League were scuttled by Congress leaders. The Lucknow Pact (1916), a pillar of Hindu-Muslim friendship, was pulled down by the Nehru Report (1928).

The Quaid accepted the recommendations of the Cabinet Mission which envisaged keeping India undivided for ten years. It was Congress which refused to accept the Cabinet Mission recommendations.

The Quaid said at Minto Park on March 22, 1940: “Musalmans are not a minority as it is generally understood. Musalmans are a nation according to any definition of a nation and they must have their homelands, their territory and their state.”

On March 2, 1941, the Quaid acknowledged, “It is as clear as daylight that we are not a minority. We are a nation and nation must have a territory. A nation does not live in the air. It lives on the land and it must govern land.”

On Oct 27, 1945, the Quaid said at Ahmedabad: “Pakistan is a question of life and death for us. I shall live and die for Pakistan.”

Asad Jameel Malick

Islamabad

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MARCH 23 was the date in 1940 when the Muslims of the subcontinent under the leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah decided to demand a separate homeland for the Muslims.

Jinnah made the 100 million Muslim minority in India realise that they were, in fact, a nation and not a minority. Thereafter the train for Pakistan took no stops and ended its journey at Karchi on August 14, 1947.

Jinnah’s struggle for the creation of Pakistan was motivated by the desire to give the Muslims an opportunity to develop themselves in accordance with their own culture and ideology. Jinnah said: “Muslims desire freedom more than anyone else because love for freedom, fraternity and liberty is the life and blood of their existence, but freedom must mean freedom from British exploitation and Hindu domination. The 100 million Muslim will never agree merely towards change of masters.”

Pakistanis need to move forward with a sincerity of purpose, honesty and integrity. If they do, Pakistan will go from success to success. If Pakistanis do not develop the qualities of private honour and public integrity, we will inevitably suffer the consequences. The choice is ours to make.

Statesmen and politicians can only guide and lead by example. Honesty, honour and integrity cannot be thrust; it must come from within.

Liaquat H. Merchant

Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2019