TWO events occurred on 23 March which played a significant role in the history of Pakistan. The first occurred on 23 March 1940, near Lahore Fort, at Minto Park, where Muslims of the Indian sub-continent pledged to wage a constitutional struggle for creation of a separate homeland for themselves. The second was adoption of 1956 Constitution, when we finally became a republic, and were no longer a dominion of the British Empire. MAJ had desired that Pakistan should be a modern democratic welfare state, whose foundations were to be built upon a Constitution, as supreme law. If the Constitution had been adopted at the earliest, as desired by the Father of the Nation, Pakistan would have been saved the humiliations it suffered.
Madr-e-Millat Fatima Jinnah stood up in 1965 to restore Jinnah’s Pakistan. Ayub Khan and his junta, with likes of Wajid Ali Burki, launched a malicious character assassination campaign against her. The elections were rigged and this set into motion a series of events. It is ironic that it was at Dacca in 1906, that foundations of AIML were laid, and they were so disgruntled that they stood up in rebellion. It is a fact that Bengali majority had supported Fatima Jinnah in 1965 and reposed their faith in the ideals for which Quaid stood. MAJ elaborated upon his vision on 11 August 1947, while addressing First Constituent Assembly. Unfortunately, MAJ died in 1948, and the process of adoption of a Constitution was delayed, through intrigues of a few remnants of the Raj, and the lack of vision of those in whose hands, the destiny of this country was vested.
The Lahore Resolution, known as Pakistan Resolution, was passed in Annual Session of All India Muslim League, following its adoption by the Working Committee and AIML Council. While we celebrate this day, it is time to pledge that Jinnah’s vision be adopted and constitutional rule should prevail, in letter and spirit. Enough damage has been inflicted by adventurism of a few. Pakistan is passing through its worst economic and security crisis, with threats of internal dissension and extremism. The Elitist Capture has wrecked our economy and we are on the brink of an economic collapse, because our expenditure exceeds total revenue. The fate and destiny of over 230Million citizens of this country is at stake.
Events preceding March session, in Lahore, had created tensions when Punjab’s (Unionist Party) Premier Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan banned all private armed militias. This ban also impacted Allama Mashriqi’s Khaksar Tehreek, whose party newspaper Al-Islah launched a very critical and provocative campaign. On 19 March contingents of Khaksar carrying spades started gathering near Bhatti Gate. When the police tried to stop them, a fight pursued, resulting in death of a British police officer and injuries to many policemen. Later, hundreds of police reinforcements arrived and they mercilessly brutalized Khaksars, inflicting scores of fatalities. This brutality evoked a lot of anger amongst thickly populated Muslims living within walled city, who vented their anger against Sikandar Hayat. The situation became so critical that Sikander pleaded with Quaid on phone to postpone planned session of All India Muslim League at Lahore. However, Quaid was adamant that historic meeting will go ahead as planned.
On 21 March, Quaid arrived in Lahore, where a grand reception was planned with a huge rally on his way to League office at Davis Road. However, in deference to Muslim families mourning their dead, he instructed organizers to cancel the rally and left in a car. He issued a press release in which he revealed that important historic decisions were to be taken at Lahore. In the evening a meeting of AIML Council was held, which finalized list of members for Subjects Committee and passed many resolutions condemning the brutal murder of Muslims.
In late afternoon 22nd March an Open Session of AIML was held, where Nawab Mamdot, presented welcome address in which he also mentioned precarious condition of Badshahi Mosque and efforts of Sikandar Hayat’s government to restore it. No sooner had he mentioned this name, the already charged emotional crowd shouted slogans against him. Sikander quietly left the venue.
The moment, Quaid got up to deliver his Presidential Address, there was pin-drop silence. He gave a brief account of political developments in preceding two years, viz a viz activities of Congress and British Government and League’s policy about war in Europe. Towards the end of his address, while elaborating upon two nation theory, he made a reference to a letter written by Lala Lajpat Rai to Bengal’s famous leader C R Das in 1924, where the former had stated that Hindus and Muslims are two separate nations and they can never form part of one united nation. In the evening the Subjects Committee met, where Quaid made it clear that the focus of the Lahore sessions would be Pakistan Resolution.
Nawab Liaquat Ali Khan read out the proposed draft in Urdu, prepared by 21 members of the Working Committee comprising Liaquat Ali Kan, Nawab Ismail, Malik Barkat Ali, Haji Abdullah Haroon, Maulana Zafar Ali, Sikandar Hayat, Nawab Mamdot etc. The resolution translated into English by Maulana Zafar Ali Khan read “That geographically contiguous units are demarcated into regions which should be co constituted, with such territorial readjustments as may be necessary, that the areas in which the Muslims are numerically in a majority, as in the NW and NE zones of India should be grouped to constitute” Independent States” in which the constituent units should be autonomous and sovereign.” When discussions resumed, Ashiq Hussain Batalvi, proposed some changes, wherein he stated that if whole of Punjab and Bengal are intended to be incorporated in Pakistan, then instead of NW it should be clearly mentioned that this means Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Frontier, while NE should be replaced by Bengal, otherwise word territorial readjustments could be misconstrued leading to division of these two vital components.
Nawab Liaquat Ali Khan however was of the opinion, that if word Punjab were to be mentioned, then boundaries of North East would end at Gorkhanwa, while we intend to include Delhi and Agra; similarly on North East we propose to include Assam also. He assured him that division of Punjab and Bengal will not be allowed. This explanation appealed to the audience and no changes were made and draft resolution was adopted.
It was also decided by Quaid-i-Azam that Maulana Fazal Ul Haq would present the resolution in the open session on 23 March at Manto Park supported by Chaudhry Khaliq uz Zaman, seconded by Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar from Bombay, Abdul Rauf Shah from CP, Abdul Hameed Khan from Madras, Aurangzeb Khan of Frontier, Abdul Mateen Chaudhry of Assam, Nawab Ismail from Bihar, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan from Punjab and Qazi Issa from Balochistan.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Lahore.
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