(BY DR. DUR MUHAMMAD PATHAN, Founder GULHAYAT INSTITUTE)
History is the collcetive memory of nation. It is some sort of mirror to see the face of past, and correct the direction of future. It is record of context & causes, actions & reactions, reasons & results. It provides guidelines how to avoid mistakes as done in the past and how to accept challenges with vision and wisdom. It is irony of fate that in our society, young generations have been denied of the right of knowing the truth of and about the past and instead of obtaining the knowledge of past, they have been imposed history as desired and required by people in power. That is why, we have lost interest in our history. Neither we accept it, nor we believe in it. For the example we read and listened that Quaid –i- Azam was born in Jhirk, but now we are made to believe accept that he was born in Wazir Mansion of Karachi. Was this building built before the birth of Quaid –i- Azam? Who will prove it? It is said that Allama Iqbal gave the concept of Pakistan, in his Presidential speech in 1930. No objection at all. But, let us go through his letter of 4th March 1934 written to Thompson. It will be better to reproduce the same here:
My dear Mr. Thompson
I have just received your review of my book.it is excellent and I am grateful to you for the very kind things you have said to me. But you have made one mistake which I hasten to point out as I consider it rather serious. You call me (a) protagonist of the scheme called “ Pakistan”. Now Pakistan is not my scheme. The one that I suggested in my address is the creation of a Muslim Province – i.e. a provinces having an overwhelming population of Muslims – in the North west of India. This new province will be , according to my scheme, a part of the proposed Indian Federation. Pakistan scheme proposes a separate federation of Muslim Provinces directly related to England as a separate dominon. This scheme was originated in Cambridge. The authors of this scheme believe that we Muslim Round Tablers have sacrified the Muslim nation on the alter of Hindu or so called Indian Nationalism.
Yours sincerely,
Mohammad Iqbal.
Let me add more here that the Cambridge Muslim Students team was headed by Chowdhri Ramat Ali. In those days of the Round Table Conference, his Pamphlet – form letter appeared in the Daily Gazette of Karachi, under title of “Now or Never”. He asked Muslim leaders and people to work for Partition of India in such a way that Pakistan is created. On a second day a Rejoinder/letter also appeared in the paper. It was written by a Sindhi. He replied to Rahmat Ali that do not earn name for so called achievement, because, I have served in the Viceroy’s secretarait and I know that Partition/Pakistan scheme was prepared there in 1905.
I have not to go in details of the past and context of the creation of Pakistan, but to have focus on the policy matters and decision of Pakistan Government, those badly affected the future politics and political culture of the country. In so many cases it gives impression of mishandling of affairs or even manipulation at large scale. Some un –touched aspect are identified here:
1. THE GOVERNORSHIP OF PAKISTAN: It is said that Lord Mountbatten aspired to be the Governor -General of both Pakistan and India for early six moths. When it became known, it alarmed Liaquat Ali Khan and those close to him. They feared that Mountbatten might persuade M.A. Jinnah to be the prime minister for interim period. They planned a telegraphic blitz against Mountbatten and gave impression to the Quaid –i- Azam that Mountbateen being near and dear to the Congress and Nehru, will try to impose re – union of the divided India. Mountbateen was rejected as candidate for the interim Governor – General of Pakistan and the post of prime misitership went to Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan. Denied Mountbateen created many problems and handicaps for Pakistan such as Kashmir Issue and large scale migration of Indian Muslims to Pakistan.
2. MIGRATION OR CREATION OF PROTECTED & SAFE CONSTITUENCY: Migration on such a large scale was not the part of Partition plan or outcome of any agreement. It was first time in the history of united India that society and culture of Sindh and other parts of Pakistan stood badly affected by un – controlled, even invited migration , Government records provides figures and facts of migrants from India in early days of Pakistan as under:
Before August 28: 760,000
August 28 to October 20: 1,340,000
October 21 to October 31: 580,000
November 1 to November 10: 660,000
November 11 to November 20: 390,000
November 21 to November 3o: 500,000
December 1 to December 10: 450,000 . That is total of 4,680,000 migrants entered Pakistan in five months and migration wave continued for years with focus on Karachi.
3. WHY KARACHI IS SELECTED AS CAPITAL?: Bengal was a part of India, where All – India Muslim league was formed. On the eve of the creation of Pakistan, Dhaka was the proper place for consideration for making the capital of Pakistan on so many grounds such as population, nearer to Indian capital and right of Bengalis for providing foundation for launching movement for a separate homeland for Indian Muslims. Most of us do not know, but it is on record that some circles suggested that Lahore be made the capital of Pakistan. But, Karachi was selected for that purpose. Where as , later on history proved that decision was not proper and correct one. Therefore Islamabad was built for that purpose.
We Sindhis do not know the importance of Karachi, but at the time of creation of Pakistan, others knew that “ Karachi owes its greatness to its location at a extreme west – end of the Indus delta and it is most favouable geographical situation as a centre of three great continents, Europe, Africa and Asia – some 200 miles nearer to Southhampton and 400 miles nearer to London than the city of Mombai”. It is Soul of Sindh, Gate way to East and North and very important Hot- water spot in the region. Karachi was declared the capital of Pakistan on 12th of March 1948 and its administration was taken over on 23rd of July 1948, only nine days after leaving of Quaid –i-Azam for health resort to Ziarat. It is to be noted that Syed Hashim Raza became the administrator of Karachi and no any local was found capable for that task. It created doubts in minds of old Sindhis that some thing is being snatched from them and perhaps new colonization is taking place on their own land.
JINNAH – LIAQUAT RELATIONS: Considerable evidences are available to show that in last days Quaid-i-Azam was let down by his colleagues. Although he has chosen Liaquat Ali Khan as the first prime minister, Quaid had started regretting his decision. Relations between the Governor – General and his Prime Minister have been more strained in era of unrelieved national calamity & stress, financial stringenty and virtual war. Once also Liaquat Ali learned from his wife that Jinnah had angrily and openly expressed dissatisfaction with Liaquat Ali Khan’s work. When in last days Liaquat Ali Khan visited Jinnah in Ziarat, the Quaid told his sister in trembling voice, “ Do you know why he has come? He wanted to know how my serious illness is, how long I will last”. On 11 September 1948, the Governor – General of Pakistan was carried in ambulance after returning from Ziarat. The ambulance broke down after covering about five miles from Air base and he died on way in broken ambulance.
4. SOME THOUGHT PROVOKING EVENTS DURING LIAQUAT ALI KHAN”S PRIME MINISTERSHIP: Sindh , even Pakistan witnessed and experienced very terrible events in this period. Some of them are: 1. Urdu is declared as the national language (on 26.2.1948), 2. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan is arrested (on 4.3.1948), 3.Karachi is declared as the capital (on 12.3.1948), 4. Sindh Chief Minister is removed ( on 26.3.1948), 5. Karachi is taken over from Sindh (on 23.7. 1948), 6. Several supporters of Khan Ghaffar Khan are killed in firing (12.8.1948), 7. State of emergency is declared in country (on 27.9.1948) and Hindus of Karachi are facing terrible riots pawing way for their migration.
The first ever Pakistan cabinet was not fully representative of all provinces. It created resentment in minds and hearts of politicians. USSR was the first power to invite Prime Minister. The invitation was accepted, but it was postponed and USA was visited first. In Less than one year of USA visit, creak down on Communists in the country started and the “ Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case” started influencing politics of the country. India, historically, culturally and ideologically more away from communism became near and dear to Russia and we lost that chance.
All these evidences make me believe that the situation was mishandled to much extent and all this affected our future society, political culture etc.
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