Pakistan as envisioned by the Quaid

Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was one of the greatest leaders of the modern age, who not only led the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent to independence but also founded a separate homeland for them, where they could live honour, practice their faith and cultivate their culture and civilisation. This accomplishment stands as even more remarkable for Quaid-i-Azam than for any other leader in the realm of national liberation. While fellow leaders contended for autonomy within established states, Quaid-i-Azam pursued a vision of a distinct homeland monumental feat through near-solo determination and constitutional means, and prevailed in the face of formidable opposition.

As is rightly pointed out by Stanley Wolpert rightly: “Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Mohammad Ali Jinnah did all three. Hailed as a `Great Leader` (Quaid-i-Azam) of Pakistan and its first Governor General, Jinnah virtually conjured that country into statehood by the force of his indomitable will.”

At the onset of his political career, Quaid-i-Azam devotedly advocated for the Hindu Muslim unity and dedicated his energies and efforts towards its attainment. His efforts were appreciated by many and Mr Jinnah was acknowledged by the Hindus themselves as “the Ambassador of Hindu Muslim Unity”. But the force of emerging conditions soon led the Muslims of the subcontinent to change their outlook and adopt a different course.”

In his presidential address at the Special Pakistan Session of the Punjab Muslim Students Federation on March 2, 1941, the Quaid said: “We are a nation: And a nation must have a territory. What is the use of merely saying that we are a nation? Nation does not live in the air. It lives on the land, it must govern land, and must have a territorial state and that is what you want to get (cheers).”

After the establishment of the state of Medina in 622 AD, Pakistan was created as the first modern ideological Islamic state. Why Hindus and Muslims could not coalesce into one nation although they lived together for centuries? The answer to this question can be found in the Quaid’s speech at Aligarh, in 1944, wherein he remarked: “Pakistan started the moment the first non-Muslim was converted to Islam in India long before the Muslims established their rule. As soon as a Hindu embraced Islam he was outcast not only religiously but also socially, culturally and economically. As for the Muslim, it was a duty imposed on him by Islam not to merge his identity and individuality in any alien society. Throughout the ages, Hindus had remained Hindus and Muslims had remained Muslims, and they had not merged their entities- that was the basis of Pakistan”

Quaid on democracy

On February 14, 1948, the Quaid expressed his idea of democracy in a speech he delivered at the Sibi Durbar in the following words:

“I have had one underlying principle in mind, the principle of Muslim democracy. It is my belief that our salvation lies in following the golden rules of conduct set for us by our great law giver, the Prophet of Islam. Let us lay the foundations of our democracy on the basis of truly Islamic ideals and principles. Our Almighty has taught us that “Our decision in the affairs of the State shall be guided by discussions and consultations.”

Quaid on the purpose of the creation of Pakistan

Outlining the purpose of the creation of Pakistan the Quaid said in a speech to the officers of the Defence Services on October 11, 1947, that the idea was that “we should have a state in which we could live and breathe as free men and which we could develop according to our own lights and culture and where principles of Islamic social justice could find free play”.

The Quaid visualised the wellbeing of the people of Pakistan. Therefore, he announced on August 11, 1947 in his presidential address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, that “If we want this great State of Pakistan happy and prosperous we should wholly and solely concentrate on the well being of the people and especially of the masses and poor.”

The Quaid struggled for the poor people. Talking to the Muslim League workers on March 01, 1946, at Calcutta the Quaid said:

“I am an old man; God has given me enough to live comfortably at this age. Why would I turn my blood into water, run about and take so much trouble? Not for the capitalists surely but for you, the poor people.”

Quaid on education

The Quaid was conscious of the onerous task of remodeling the colonial system of education in order that a new structure responsive to the religious, socio-cultural and economic needs of Pakistan should emerge. Responding to a suggestion that the education of Muslims in all states required complete overhauling, the Quaid opined that education will be one of the problems that the Pakistan government will be called upon to deal with, when it is established, to be followed by economic and social reforms.

“Education is the foundation of every nation”, said Jinnah, on January 12, 1947, and added that it was a matter of regret that Sindh was the most backward province in the whole country in education. He was glad that there was some awakening now and urged for an earnest drive towards literacy throughout the province extending to all communities.

“The Muslim of today is very lazy”, said the Quaid and he further remarked and added: “it was through hard work, industry and perseverance alone that anything could be achieved.”

When partition was done, the whole education domain was absolutely unsatisfactory. Curricula and textbooks were out-dated. Higher education was also in a deplorable condition. There were only three universities including University of Sindh which was established a few months before the creation of Pakistan in April 1947, and few colleges in the areas which constituted Pakistan. Science and Technical subjects were rarely studied at higher levels. Facilities for scientific, technical and vocational education were very limited.

The British government neglected primary education. The main emphasis was on higher education, the primary and secondary education was subordinated to the requirements of university education.

After the establishment of Pakistan, efforts were made to encourage the development of primary education. New primary schools were opened; the government appointed qualified teachers and provided modern equipment at schools.

The Quaid devoted his entire energies to harnessing the nascent state. He was concerned about the system of education neglected by the colonial government. He wanted to incorporate Islamic education which can arouse the spirit of harmony and tolerance among the people to strengthen the foundations of society and enable citizens to contribute to the development of the country. To create such a society it was necessary to teach and train the young generation on sound footing. He defined the concept of education in his message to the All Pakistan Education Conference on November 27, 1947 as under:

“Education does not merely mean academic education and even that appears to be of a very poor type. What we have to do is to mobilise our people and build up the character of our future generations. There is an immediate and urgent need for training our people in scientific and technical education in order to build up our future economic life, and we should see that our people undertake science, commerce, trade and particularly well-planned industries. But do not forget that we have to compete with the world which is moving very fast in this direction. Also I must emphasise that greater attention should be paid to technical and vocational education.” The Quaid declared that a newborn State of Pakistan demands nation-builders not clerks to be responsible for the administration of Pakistan. In his address at the Dacca University Convocation on March 24, 1948, he observed: “The main object of the old system of education and the system of Government existing hitherto was really to have well-trained, well-equipped clerks. Of course, some of them went higher and found their level, but the whole idea was to get well-qualified clerks...the whole principle was to create a mentality, a psychology, a state of mind, that an average man, when he passed his BA or MA, was to look for some job in government. I know and you all know what has been really the result of this. Our experience has shown that an MA earns less than a taxi driver and most of so-called government servants are living in a more miserable manner than many menial servants who are employed by well-to-do people. Now I want you to get out of that rut and that mentality and especially now that we are in free Pakistan. The government cannot absorb thousands. Impossible. But in the competition to get government service most of you get demoralised. Government can take only a certain number and the rest cannot settle down to anything else and being disgruntled are always ready to be exploited by persons who have their own axes to grind.” He further stated, “There is no shame in doing manual work and labour. There is an immense scope in technical education for we want technically qualified people very badly. You can learn banking, commerce, trade, law etc which provide so many opportunities now. Already you find that new industries are being started, new banks, new insurance companies, new commercial firms are opening and they will grow as you go on.”

Quaid on government

The Quaid-i-Azam showed no inclination either for presidential or parliamentary system but he was very clear on the fundamental principles that the government should be constituted by the elected representatives of the people with executive and judiciary should function independently. In a broadcast to the people of the US (February, 1948) he elucidated the validity of Islamic principles in their application to democratic polity as follows: “The constitution of Pakistan has yet to be owned by the Pakistan Constituent Assembly. I do not know what the ultimate shape of this Constitution is going to be, but I am sure that it will be a democratic type, embodying the essential principles of Islam. Today, they are as applicable in actual life as they were 1,300 years ago. Islam and its idealism have taught us democracy. It has taught equality of man, justice and fair play to everybody. We are the inheritors of these glorious traditions and are fully alive to our responsibilities and obligations as framers of the future Constitution of Pakistan.”

Quaid on provincial autonomy

The Quaid was in favour of conferring autonomy to the provinces. Thus, in a statement on the Viceroy’s Speech at Calcutta, the Quaid on December 10, 1945 at Bombay said:

“Our Pakistan Government will probably be a Federal Government, modeled on lines of autonomous provinces with the key power in matters of Defence and Foreign Affairs etc at the Centre. But that will be for the Constitution-making body, our Constitution-making body, to decide.”

Quaid on rule of law

The Quaid strictly believed in the rule of law and was totally committed to democracy. When the members of the Pakistan Muslim League Council expressed the desire that he should accept its presidency, the Quaid-i-Azam declined to do so for the reason that as the Head of State he had to look after the interests of all sections and could not associate with any political party. Thus, it could be said that the Quaid lived and died as a democrat. To him democracy was the way of life of the Musalmans and through it alone Pakistan could achieve a place of honour, dignity and glory in the comity of nations.

In fact, the Quaid’s vision of Pakistan was that it would be an Islamic welfare state where not one person would be exploited.

Quaid on free and fair elections

The Quaid always advocated for free and fair elections and believed that the successful working of any democratic policy depended on the conduct of an election free from corrupt practices.

The Quaid condemned bribery and corruption and disdained black market. He said, “A citizen who does black marketing commits, 1 think, greater crime than the biggest and most grievous crimes.”

Quaid on governance

In his Presidential Address delivered extempore at the Thirtieth Session of the All India Muslim League, Delhi, April 24, 1943 the Quaid declared:

“I have no doubt in my mind that a large body of us visualise Pakistan as a people’s government... But I am sure that democracy is in our blood. It is in our marrows. Only centuries of adverse circumstances have made the circulation of that blood cold. It has got frozen and your arteries have not been functioning.” The Quaid also gave a fair warning to the landed elites, he asserted, “But thank God, the blood is circulating again, thanks to the Muslim League’s efforts. It will be the people’s government. Here I would like to give a warning to the landlords and capitalists who have flourished at our expense by a system which is so vicious, which is so wicked and which makes them so selfish that it is difficult to reason with them.”

The Quaid-i-Azam had affirmed that there would be no room for a capitalist economic system in Pakistan. In his speech at the opening ceremony of the State Bank of Pakistan on July 1, 1948, the Quaid announced:

“The economic system of the West has created almost insoluble problems for humanity and to many of us it appears that only a miracle can save it from the disaster that is facing the world. It has failed to do justice between man and man, and to eradicate friction from the international field. On the contrary, it was largely responsible for the two World Wars in the last half century. The adoption of Western economic theory and practice will not help us in achieving our goal of creating a happy and contented people.”

In fact, the Quaid’s envisioned Pakistan as a welfare state that would serve its people, secure their rights and protect their interests, irrespective of class, racial or cultural difference.

The quotes from Quaid’s speeches and addresses are cited from the book, “Creation of Pakistan” authored by Jamil-ud-Din Ahmad, (1976, Volume II, 234, 246, 453, 463, 293).

-This is one of the unpublished articles written by Dr M Yakub Mughul (late) before his death. He was an HEC Eminent Scholar and former Director, Quaid-i-Azam Academy, Karachi.