As a visionary leader, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had a deep affinity and enduring attachment with the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir. One of the most consequential leaders of the twentieth century, he viewed Kashmir not merely as a territorial question but as vital to Pakistan’s strategic security and ideological coherence. His oft-quoted assertion; “Kashmir is the jugular vein of Pakistan and no nation would tolerate its jugular vein remaining under the sword of an enemy” captures both the gravity and foresight of his thinking. Today, as New Delhi consolidates its occupation of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), particularly after revoking the region’s special status in August 2019, Quaid-e-Azam’s vision stands vindicated in stark relief.
Historical records reveal that Quaid-e-Azam visited Kashmir on four occasions, each visit reflecting a deeper engagement with the state’s political, social and human realities. His first visit, in 1926, was private in nature, ostensibly a holiday, yet effectively a fact-finding mission. During this stay, he observed first-hand the socio-economic conditions of the Kashmiri people and the oppressive nature of Dogra rule. At the time, Kashmir lacked political awakening and organization; its people were denied basic rights under a harsh and discriminatory regime. Disturbed by what he witnessed, Quaid later secured the passage of a special resolution at the All-India Muslim League Working Committee session in Lahore in 1926. The resolution unanimously urged the Maharaja’s government to address the educational and economic backwardness of Kashmiri Muslims and improve their living conditions.
Quaid’s second visit to Kashmir in 1929 further underscored his concern. He met with emerging local leaders to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the plight of the masses. These early visits were deliberately low-profile, aimed at grasping ground realities rather than making political pronouncements. Despite sustained repression, Kashmiri Muslims succeeded in organizing politically, culminating in the formation of the All–Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference in 1932. This marked a historic milestone, the first organized political platform dedicated to securing political and social rights for Kashmiris and asserting their right to self-determination against Dogra autocracy.
The third visit, in 1936, was Quaid-e-Azam’s first formal tour of Kashmir as the undisputed leader of Indian Muslims. He received a rousing reception from the leadership of the Muslim Conference, notably Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah and Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas. Addressing the people, Quaid emphasized unity and collective purpose, declaring: “Our Allah is one, our Prophet is one, our Qur’an is one and therefore our voice must also be one.” However, the political trajectory of Kashmir soon took a complicated turn. In 1939, Sheikh Abdullah renamed the Muslim Conference as the National Conference and ideological differences eventually led to a split. The Muslim Conference re-emerged in 1941, distancing itself from the National Conference’s policies. This division proved tragic; in later years, the National Conference functioned as an unofficial ally of the Indian National Congress, providing India a pretext to occupy Jammu and Kashmir in October 1947.
Quaid-e-Azam’s fourth and final visit, in 1944, was the most extensive and consequential. Spanning over a month, he traveled across various parts of the state at the joint invitation of both the Muslim Conference and the National Conference, addressing their workers separately. He engaged with students, lawyers, journalists and ordinary citizens, seeking to shape a coherent political future for Kashmir. The depth of his commitment is reflected in a personal decision of lasting significance: during this visit, he appointed a newly graduated Kashmiri youth, K. H. Khurshid, as his personal secretary. Khurshid served Quaid from 1944 to 1947 and later acted as his special representative on Kashmir, even visiting the region after its illegal occupation by India.
When Indian forces invaded Jammu and Kashmir on 27 October 1947, Quaid-e-Azam promptly ordered the Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army to dispatch troops to counter the aggression. Tragically, the British Commander-in-Chief failed to carry out the Governor-General’s orders. Quaid had earlier attempted to forestall Indian annexation through diplomatic and political means, but events moved swiftly against his hopes. Following his death, Pakistan struggled to mount sustained and effective efforts to reverse the illegal occupation. The situation deteriorated dramatically in August 2019, when India unilaterally revoked the special status of IIOJK, annexing it as union territories in blatant violation of United Nations resolutions and international law. Since then, India has pursued aggressive demographic engineering alongside widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, torture and illegal arrests, all under a regime of near-total impunity.
Regrettably, the response at the time was inadequate. No concerted diplomatic initiative was launched to mobilize the United Nations and other international forums to prevent or reverse India’s illegal actions of 5 August 2019. As a result, demographic changes and human rights violations have continued unabated. This inaction runs counter to Quaid-e-Azam’s vision for Jammu and Kashmir and the deeply held sentiments of the people of Pakistan. The entire State of Jammu and Kashmir and the people of Kashmir cannot be alienated from Pakistan.
Honoring Quaid’s legacy requires more than rhetoric. The incumbent government must proactively engage the United Nations and relevant international organizations to seek restoration of Kashmir’s special status and work toward a just and lasting resolution of the dispute. Only then can Quaid’s vision of Kashmir’s right of self-determination, end of massive human rights violations in IIOJK and regional peace in South Asia can be achieved.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
