Pakistan Day, national discipline and unity

Late Senator Rehman Malik

This day reminds us of the level of discipline and unity among our elders which enabled them to give us this beautiful country. Their freedom actions were based on unity, faith, and discipline and this is the time when unity has become even more important for the future and prosperity of our country. Hence, March 23 is a very important day in the history of Pakistan that teaches us to march unitedly towards prosperity, integrity, and progress of Pakistan as per the guidelines of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. This is the day to affirm our commitment that we as a nation will work and march with a positive role rather than the negative and reverse order which has already created numerous crises for us. The day reminds us of our great founding leaders and elders who rendered numerous sacrifices to give us an independent country. To achieve the ‘Two Nation Theory’, our forefathers and great leaders not only struggled day and night but also rendered numerous sacrifices.

The history of the subcontinent was changed the moment ‘Pakistan Resolution’ was passed today on March 23, in 1940. It was the first time on this golden day, Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah had formally demanded a separate homeland, Pakistan for us based on ‘Two Nation Theory’ which was based on the concept of the Muslim nationhood in his address at the Minto Park Lahore which is turned to be a historically important monument for Pakistan. The Resolution was moved by the then Bengal Chief Minister A. K. Fazlul Haq and Chaudhry Khaliq uz Zaman. Pakistan Resolution stated “No constitutional plan would be workable in this country or acceptable to Muslims unless it is designed on the following basic principle, namely, that geographically contiguous units are demarcated into regions which should be so constituted, … that the areas in which the Muslims are numerically in majority, as in the north western and eastern zones of India, should be grouped to constitute independent states in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign…” The resolution for the establishment of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent was passed in the annual session of the All-India Muslim League held in Lahore on 22-24 March 1940; a landmark document of Pakistan’s history. On the first day of the session, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah narrated the events of the last few months where Muslims were mistreated by the Hindu extremists. In his significant speech, he presented his own solution to the problems of Muslims. He expressed that the problem of Indian Muslims was not an internal affair but an international one and must be treated as such.

To him, the differences between Hindus and Muslims were so immense that their survival under one central government was unlikely. They belonged to two separate and distinct nations as well as two different religions and therefore the only way out was to allow them to have separate states. Quaid-e-Azam vocally stated “Hindus and the Muslims belong to two different religions, philosophies, social customs and literature. They neither inter-marry nor inter-dine and, indeed, they belong to two different civilisations that are based mainly on conflicting ideas and conceptions. Their concepts on life and of life are different. It is quite clear that Hindus and Muslims derive their inspiration from different sources of history. They have different epics, different heroes and different episodes. Very often the hero of one is a foe of the other, and likewise, their victories and defeats overlap. To yoke together two such nations under a single state, one as a numerical minority and the other as a majority, must lead to growing discontent and final destruction of any fabric that may be so built up for the government of such a state”.

Based on the above-mentioned ideas of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and A. K. Fazlul Haq, the historical resolution was moved which has since come to be known as Lahore Resolution or Pakistan Resolution. It emphasised the principles relevant to the modern state system and the political context of British India. It made five specific demands.

• The Resolution rejected the federal system of government as envisaged in the Government of India Act, 1935 because it was “totally unsuited to and unworkable in the peculiar conditions of this country and is altogether unacceptable to Muslim India.”
• The Muslims would not accept any revised constitutional plan unless it was framed with “their consent and approval.”
• The adjacent territorial units should be demarcated into regions that may involve some territorial adjustments in a manner “that the areas in which the Muslims are numerically in a majority as in north-western and eastern zones of India “become “independent states in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign.”
• The resolution offered “adequate, effective and mandatory safeguards for religious minorities” in the Muslim majority units for the “protection of their religious, cultural, economic, political, and administrative and other rights and interests in consultation with them.” Similar rights will be given to the Muslims in “other parts of India.”
• The Muslim League Working Committee was asked to formulate a constitutional scheme on the basis of the principles outlined in the Resolution.

The Resolution thus offered a new course of action for the Muslims of British India as compared to the Muslim League position adopted on constitutional and political issues in the past. Today we happily breathe in an independent country for which our forefathers had sacrificed a lot and it is our national duty to uphold and defend it so that we can give a better Pakistan to our upcoming generations. The celebration of 23rd March aimed to pay our rich tribute to the father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and his companions.

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On this day, we must not forget the sacrifices of our armed forces, particularly the sacrifices of the Pak Army in defending the borders of the country and fighting against terrorists. Today the martyrs of the nation are in our thoughts and we salute them for their bravery and sacrifices for the motherland. I wish today all of us Pakistanis undertake that we will follow Quaid-e-Azam’s golden principle of governance ‘Unity, Faith and Discipline’.

Today Pakistan is passing through numerous crises and I would like to appeal to all political parties to forge national unity on vital national requirements i.e. defence, national security, and economy of the country in the larger interest of Pakistan and its people. As a nation, we must not forget high-handed and well-organised proxy wars already aggressively launched against Pakistan which is damaging our national cause and interests both at national and international fronts.

We must get rid of petty attacks on each other and direct our energies towards the betterment of our beloved country. We have to be steadfast in marching forward for the dignity, prosperity, and honour of our country and to struggle for our next generations.

The late writer was a PPP Senator and former Interior Minister of Pakistan. This article was written by the late politician two years back