THE Quaid-i-Azam, in a speech at the Madras session of the All-India Muslim League in April 1941, clarified the Lahore Resolution as under: “Let me clarify our position with regard to our goal. What is the goal of the Muslim League? What is the ideology of the Muslim League? Let me tell you as clearly as possible ... the goal of the All-India Muslim League is as follows: we want the establishment of completely independent states in the North-Western and Eastern zones of India with full control of defence, foreign affairs, communication, customs currency exchange, etc., and we do not want under the circumstances a Constitution of an All-India character, with one government at the centre. We will never agree to that. If you once agree, let me tell you, the Muslims will be absolutely wiped out of existence.”
These excerpts, taken from the Foundation of Pakistan: All-India Muslim League Documents: 1906-1947, Vol. II (National Publishing House Ltd., Karachi; 1970; page 361), are unambiguous.
The word ‘Pakistan’ was not named in the resolution, but North-Western and Eastern zones of India owned it afterwards in a spirit of solidarity and brotherhood.
Though a majority of province, East Pakistan agreed in the national interest to have parity in a unicameral legislature with West Pakistan under the 1956 Constitution, but it fell prey to the unholy alliance between president Iskander Mirza and General Ayub Khan in 1958.
Justice (retd) Haziqul Khairi
Karachi
Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2022
