Sir: It has been claimed that the phrase ‘Ideology of Pakistan’ was never used by Quaid-e-Azam and was first mentioned in 1962. At the Lahore session of the All India Muslim League held in March 1940 a historic resolution was adopted seeking the division of the subcontinent, which inter alia demanded: that the areas in which the Musalmans are numerically in majority as in the northwestern and eastern zones of India, shall be grouped together to constitute independent states as Muslim free national homelands in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign. That adequate effective and mandatory safeguards shall be specially provided in the constitution for the minorities. That all other parts of India where the Musalmans are in minority, adequate, effective and mandatory safeguards shall be specifically provided in the constitution for them, etc. In the session of the Muslim League held in Madras in April 1941, appropriate amendments were made in the aims and objects of the Muslim League and the salient features of the Lahore Resolution were substituted. Thus, the Lahore Resolution became the creed of the Muslim League. In his presidential address Quaid-e-Azam said, “I want to tell you what the ideology of the League is. I think that has been made clear, but I also think that there are people in the world who require repetition, especially a section of the Hindu press. And now let me say that the ideology of this League is based on fundamental principles that Muslims of India are an independent nationality and any attempt to get them to merge their national and political identity and unity will not only be resisted but in my opinion it will be futile for anyone to attempt it.” The next session of the Muslim League was held in Allahabad in April 1942. Quaid-e-Azam in his Presidential address said: “Had Madras redefined our policy, we defined our ideology, we defined our programme…”
Before concluding, it would be appropriate to quote an extract from the message sent by Quaid-e-Azam for the Muslim Students Federation Conference, Peshawar, on June 12, 1945: “I have often made it clear that the Musalmans wish to live as honourable and free people. There is only one course open to them, to fight for Pakistan, to live for Pakistan and if necessary to die for the achievement of Pakistan…Pakistan not only means freedom and independence but Islamic Ideology, which has to be preserved and has come to us a precious gift and a treasure, which we hope others will share with us in the regeneration and reconstruction of the Musalman nation.”
SYED SHARIFUDDIN PIRZADA
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