‘An Islamic welfare state was Jinnah’s vision for Pakistan’

News Desk

Speakers at a meeting of Shura Hamdard’s Karachi chapter declared that the political narrative of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was his speech of August 11, 1947, which was his policy statement too, in the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.

By following this narrative in letter and spirit, the country could find its way out of the prevailing quagmire of socio-economic and political problems, said a statement issued Shura Hamdard on Monday.

The meeting, which was held on the theme ‘Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s political narrative and present political situation’, was presided over by Justice (retd) Haziqul Khairi at a club.

The guest speaker, Sirajuddin Aziz, said the Quaid-e-Azam did not believe in orthodoxy and had attributes of a man of “honesty of purpose”, impeccable character, and law-abiding”.

If the Quaid’s qualities were highlighted and propagated in the nation, it would have put positive effects on Pakistani politics that got rotten due to corruption and money-making malpractices, he added.

Quoting many examples from the Quaid’s life, Aziz said that the Quaid-e-Azam always respected law and never even thought of breaking the law. He said Jinnah was so honest in his law profession that he refused to accept extra fees after winning a lawsuit. The Quaid was so sensitive for public money that he stopped to serve tea at cabinet meetings, he maintained.

Justice (retd) Haziqul said that the Quaid was so honest that even his strong adversaries did not raise a finger against his integrity. The correspondence between Iqbal and Jinnah showed that Iqbal had a deep longing for the Muslims of the subcontinent to have a separate country so he gave the concept of a separate homeland for them, but he never talked about an Islamic state as the movement for a separate country was a battle for obtaining political rights for the Muslims, he asserted.

Maj-General (retd) Sikandar Hayat was of view that Pakistan was the eighth wonder of the world, created by an extraordinary energetic man, who talked about Islamic social justice and stressed equal rights for every Pakistani.

Sadia Rashid, president, Hamdard Foundation Pakistan, said that the Quaid-e-Azam had made it very clear that the minorities of Pakistan were also equal citizens of the country, and to safeguard their rights, lives and properties was the sole responsibility of the state.

Prof Dr Akhlaque Ahmed was of the view that the present Pakistan was not that Pakistan the Quaid had dreamed of as he wanted Pakistan to be an enlightened, upright and dutiful nation.

Brig (retd) Riazul Haq said that the Quaid-e-Azam was an ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity, but when he saw that the majority was ready not to give political rights to the Muslim minority, he demanded a separate homeland for the Muslims and achieved that goal.

Col (retd) Mukhtar Ahmed Butt said the great sacrifice made by the Quaid was that he kept secret his fatal disease and tirelessly worked for the creation of Pakistan, notwithstanding his doctor’s advice to take rest. But after his demise, the feudals and others captured the power and spoiled the country which was made with great sacrifices, including the exemplary sacrifice of the Quaid, he maintained.

Sheikh Usman Damohi said that we delinked the Quaid from religion, although he made this country to establish an Islamic system based on socio-economic justice of Islam. Prof Dr Tanvir Khalid was of the opinion that we should take guidance from the Quaid’s political narrative, highlighted in his speeches, and make the country according to his wishes. Engineer Anwarul Haq Siddiqui, Zafar Iqbal and Ibn-ul-Hasan Rizvi also spoke.