Why was Jinnah’s vision of Pakistan betrayed?

In one of his addresses Quaid-i-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah stated, “We should have a State in which we could live and breathe as free men and which we could develop according to our lights and culture and where principles of Islamic social justice could find free play. My message to you all is of hope, courage, and confidence,”

Democracy, rule of law, good governance, accountability, social justice, religious tolerance, integrity, hard work and a welfare state were the ideals which the founder of Pakistan propagated and emphasised before and after becoming governor-general of the newly-established state. Why is it so that the father of the nation, who was a role model in terms of adherence to the rule of law, was unable to see his country follow his footsteps? Why after the death of Jinnah, his successors failed to follow his mission? How did the vision of the Quaid for a democratic, tolerant, peaceful and stable Pakistan fail to transform into a reality? It is time to analyse with critical thinking.

In the year 2023, 76 years after the emergence of Pakistan, one needs to examine why 240 million people of the country are far from accomplishing the vision of Jinnah and why there is no realisation on the part of leadership in this regard? In the formative phase of Pakistan, the ideals and the vision of the Quaid became a victim of the assassination of Pakistan’s first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan on October 16, 1961, political infighting, fragility of democratic institutions, failure of new state to curb power ambitions by the military and bureaucracy. Unlike India, which under the leadership of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru strengthened democracy, and political pluralism, abolished feudalism and the zamindari system and launched the constitution in 1950, Pakistan experienced periodic changes of governments; political schisms between East and West Pakistan and the abrogation of the 1956 constitution following the imposition of October 1958 martial law. Had Jinnah been alive, Pakistan wouldn’t have experienced unconstitutional steps like the imposition of periodic military takeover, abrogation and suspension of the constitution, corruption, nepotism and genocide of merit.

The betrayal of Jinnah’s vision of Pakistan can be analysed from three aspects. First, the Muslim League which spearheaded the Pakistan movement was not capable of dealing with the challenges which emanated after the emergence of the new state. Issues ranging from settlement of refugees, conflict with India over Jammu & Kashmir, water resources, division of assets and liabilities, establishing administrative and financial structures along with the emergence of language controversy between East and West Pakistan further aggravated crises.

Jinnah’s fragile health and the escalating challenges to the state of Pakistan were such that other leaders of the Muslim League lacked the wisdom, prudence, and capability to act appropriately and in a timely manner. When Quaid made it clear that the new state would be Islamic, democratic, welfare-oriented, and tolerant, and that its foreign policy would be based on developing friendly relations with neighbours and major powers, why did the post-Quaid leadership lean towards the Western bloc and fail to integrate Jammu & Kashmir into Pakistan?

Leadership failures and the resulting vacuum created after the death of the Quaid and the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan led to a bureaucratic-military nexus that derailed the democratic process and deepened cleavages between East and West Pakistan. Much has been said and written about how the leadership of the Muslim League failed to consolidate national cohesion and integration, allowing space for the clergy to undermine Quaid’s vision of establishing a democratic, tolerant, egalitarian, and welfare state. Islamists, while misinterpreting the ‘two-nation theory,’ propagated an ‘Islamic state,’ thereby denying religious minorities their legitimate rights.

Secondly, not only did the leadership of the Muslim League betray the vision of Jinnah but also the elites also failed to focus on socio-economic development and pillars of welfare state like education, health, quality of life of people and human development ensuring social justice and equality.

When the sense of deprivation deepened in East Pakistan due to inadequate representation in governance and limited economic development, the ruling elite, predominantly from the West Pakistan, implemented measures such as imposition of martial law and the relocation of the federal capital from Karachi to Rawalpindi and later to Islamabad. Exploiting East Pakistan’s resources, such as jute and tea, for the industrialisation and development of West Pakistan further exacerbated the discontent. Jinnah’s vision for Pakistan disintegrated. The feeling of deprivation not only intensified in East Pakistan but also affected smaller provinces in the West, including Balochistan, Sindh, and the then NWFP. The use of force to quell Baloch and Bengali nationalists weakened the national unity and integration of diverse ethnic groups.

Third, the betrayal of the vision of Quaid-i-Azam for a democratic, stable and prosperous Pakistan failed to create any sense of realisation among those who wielded power after the assassination of Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan. Unfortunately, no lessons were learnt about why Jinnah’s Pakistan disintegrated and old practices of divide and rule, creating and breaking political parties, weakening democracy, neglecting political pluralism and instigation of religious extremism and ethnic schism continued even after 1971. The lack of focus on social and human development further compounded critical issues faced by Pakistan. For instance, in 1971, the combined population of East and West Pakistan was 115 million. However, by 2023, the population of the part of Pakistan consisting of the Western wing alone reached 240 million. Multiplying the population of Pakistan over 52 years has placed enormous pressure on the country’s resources.

The failure to promote democratic culture, political pluralism, the rule of law, accountability, good governance, and a foreign policy grounded in pragmatic principles has led to Pakistan ranking 144th in the Human Development Index. Its economy relies on loans and bailout packages from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other sources. Transforming the vision of the Quaid into a reality is a challenging yet not impossible task. It depends on six requirements that must be fulfilled by the state and society of Pakistan First, honest, hardworking, intelligent and visionary leadership. Second, planning, hard work, integrity, intelligence, commitment and dedication. Third, adherence to the constitution, democracy, rule of law, good governance and accountability. Fourth, eradicating intolerance, extremism, militancy, radicalisation and terrorism. Fifth, focus on humans instead of a parochial perspective of national security. Sixth, empowerment of youths, women and other vulnerable segments of society. Needless to say, without political will and determination it is not possible to transform Jinnah’s vision for Pakistan into a reality.

- The author is a Meritorious Professor of International Relations and former Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Karachi. He can be reached at: amoonis@hotmail.com.