Dr Qari Asim, MBE,
Chief Imam, Makkah Masjid Leed
23rd March holds a significant place in the history of Pakistan. 75 years ago, on 23 March 1940 in Lahore Minto Park (now called Iqbal Park), the founding fathers passed the momentous Pakistan Resolution (Qarardad i Pakistan), which gave birth to the idea of an independent state nation.
Quaid-i-Azam (the Great Leader) Muhammad Ali Jinnah, as a leader of the Muslim League in 1940, demanded the formation of an independent Pakistan and after 7 years of peaceful struggle, on 14 August 1947, Pakistan was born. Independence resulted in communal riots across India and Pakistan and millions of Muslims were uprooted from their homes as they moved from India to Pakistan and millions were martyred and injured.
Formation of Pakistan was the dream of Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal, who was a strong proponent of the political and spiritual revival of Islamic civilisation across the world, but specifically in South Asia; a series of famous lectures he delivered to this effect are published as The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam.
Sir Allama Muhammad Iqbal asked Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah to lead the Muslims of India to realizing a dream for an independent Islamic state.
As Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah said:-
“We are a nation, with our distinctive culture and civilisation, names and nomenclature, sense of values and proportion, legal laws and moral code, customs and calendar, history and tradition, aptitude and ambition; in short we have our own distinctive outlook on life and of life. By all canons of international law, we are a nation.”
It is an irony that a country which was created in the name of ideology failed to achieve the destiny laid down by its founders, who with vigorous struggle and spirit secured this independent state of Pakistan for their future generation. Pakistan is now economically, politically and socially an unstable country. Corruption and terrorism is rife in that country.
Quaid-e-Azam slogan of “Unity, Faith and Discipline” and his motto “United We Stand, Divided We Fall” are the pillars on which the founder wanted to erect the edifice of Pakistan. He was very much aware of the fact that in a country with distinct cultural entities and regions, the only way Pakistan could move forward, politically, economically and socially, was an impregnable unity among its people. Unfortunately, that unity amongst its people is not to be found so many decades after its formation.
History is a witness to the fact adherence to the objectives of independence, are the only way nations can consolidate the gains of their independence and stand proudly amongst other nations. It is high time for Pakistan’s establishment, political and religious leaderhip and the people to reflect on its achievements and failures since August 1947. They need to put aside their petty differences and personal interests and think of the future of Pakistan and the future of coming generations and make a firm resolution to move in the direction of Unity, Faith and Discipline.
May Pakistan long live and Allah grant it protection from internal and external sources. May Allah allow it to prosper as a great nation and enable it to achieve the dreams of its founder and those who laid down their lives for its formation (Ameen).