Daily Times

The Muslims, who ruled on the subcontinent for about 800 years, were deprived of all civil, political, constitutional, and other rights after the failure of the Independence War of 1857.

Subjected to an unending ordeal of disparity, inequality, and discrimination, the Muslims of the Indo-Pak subcontinent were pushed to the wall by the colonial masters, who considered them rivals after snatching of power from Mughal emperors under the guise of East India Company. The Muslims had faced intellectual, political, and, educational decay after the colonial rulers strengthened their grip on the subcontinent and tilted towards the socio-economic and educational empowerment of Hindus.

During that grim era, the Muslims were given new hope and direction by the renowned educationist, political thinker, and social reformer, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan who instilled a new vigor and dynamism among Muslims following the inspirational teachings of the great religious leader, Mojadad Alf Sani and Shah Waliullah.

“Sir Syed had brought about an intellectual revolution among Muslims through educational, political, and social reforms. The foundation of Pakistan laid by the great Sir Syed was carried forward by great leaders such as Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan, Abdur Rab Nishtar, Maulana Muhammad Ali Johar, Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, Chaudhry Rehmat Ali, Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, and others under the dynamic leaderhip of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that led to the creation of Pakistan on August 14, 1947, on the world map,” said Younas Khan, Chairman, Pakistan Studies Department, Islamia College Peshawar while talking to APP.

He said Sir Syed on one side had nullified the malicious propaganda of colonial rulers, Hindus, and pessimist forces during an era of discrimination, oppression, and darkness, and had brought Muslims of British India out of ominous oppression on the other side.

Taking cognizance of the socioeconomic, political, and educational decay of oppressed Muslims, Sir Syed founded the All India Muhammadan Educational Conference (AIMEC) Aligarh in 1886, which carried forward his vision regarding modern education, socio-economic empowerment and political unity of Muslims to regain the past glory.

The network of educational institutions and political unity organized under AIMEC had enabled millions of Muslims to compete with other communities including Hindus and provided a launching pad for Muslims to initiate a peaceful political and democratic struggle for a separate homeland in the subcontinent where they could live with dignity. “Sir Syed’s multi reforms had excelled Muslims in education, social, economic and political sciences, resultantly their voices were heard strongly by the British rulers,” he maintained.

Under the flag of All India Muslim League (AIML) founded on December 30, 1906, in Dhaka, the Muslims got united under the AIML flag by giving new impetus to the independence movement.

The independence movement witnessed further momentum after Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had spearheaded it after formally joining AIML in 1913 and outlining an independent state for Muslims majority provinces in North Western India by the great poet-philosopher Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal during a historic Allahabad address in 1930.

Dr Allama Iqbal became the first politician to articulate the two nation-theory that Muslims were a distinct nation and deserved political independence from other regions and communities of united India.

“Pakistan Movement had passed through different phases and finally achieved its practical shape in 1933 during a high-level gathering in London where Chaudhary Rehmat Ali presented the name of Pakistan.”

Recalling Rehmat Ali’s famous saying ‘now or never or perish forever,’ Younas said the two former students, Aslam Khattak and Inayatullah Khan of Charsadda along with other Muslim leaders endorsed the name of Pakistan. “Pakistan’s name and Allahabad’s historic address had set a clear direction to the Muslims of the subcontinent to achieve Pakistan.”

The Muslims of united India under the leadership of Quaid e Azam were later gathered at Iqbal Park in Lahore on March 23, 1940, where they passed the historic Pakistan Resolution.

Following the adoption of the Pakistan Resolution, Quaid-e-Azam reorganized AIML on modern lines and made repeated visits to all Muslim-majority provinces including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) (earlier called NWFP) to mobilize masses for the creation of Pakistan.

“The legendary Quaid received a historic welcome when he visited KP and Islamia College Peshawar (ICP) in 1945 where a sea of people from KP and Merged Areas (erstwhile Fata) arrived to see a few glimpses of their beloved leader,” said Manzoorul Haq, former Ambassador of Pakistan while talking to APP.

The people arrived through buses, rickshaws, rails, bicycles, trucks and feet at Peshawar had assured all-out support to the great Quaid for Pakistan.

The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Peshawar decorated their houses, vehicles, and bungalows with Muslim League flags and raised full-throated slogans of Pakistan and Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad.

Younas said it was the love of the people of KP with the great Quaid that AIML had secured over 50 seats in the province during 1946 elections and after that historic victory, nobody could stop the independence movement from here.

Following strong commitment and dedicated peaceful political struggle by the Muslims under the leadership of Quaid e Azam, Pakistan came into being on August 14, 1947, on the world map within seven years after the adoption of the Pakistan Resolution on March 23, 1940.

“The history of the Pakistan Movement is incomplete without mentioning the role of Islamia College Peshawar (ICP) students,” Younas Khan said, adding the legendary Quaid visited ICP in 1936, 1945, and 1948 to acknowledge the outstanding role of its students during Pakistan Movement.

On April 12, 1948, Quaid-e-Azam visited ICP as the first Governor General of Pakistan where he presented glowing tributes to the services of its students towards making Pakistan in these words.

“I am indeed very happy to be present here today and to have the privilege of addressing students of this great Darul Uloom, who are the future builders of Pakistan. Remember your government is like your own garden. Your garden flourishes by the way you look after it and the efforts that you put towards its improvement. Similarly, your government can only flourish by your patriotic, honest, and constructive efforts to improve it.”

The great Quaid had wished to construct a university near ICP which was fulfilled by the Government within a gap of one year by establishing the University of Peshawar in 1949.

Quaid e Azam had an immense love for tribesmen of merged tribal districts (Erstwhile FATA) for their strong commitment, loyalty, sacrifices, and consistent support during the Pakistan Movement acknowledged by him during his address at Grand Tribal Jira at Governor House, Peshawar on April 17, 1948.

He laid great emphasis on the education and socio-economic development of tribesmen and considered technical education, science, and technology.

Dr A.R.Hilali, former Chairman of the Political Science Department, University of Peshawar said that August 14 was a historic day that remind the heroic struggle of Muslims of the sub-continent for a separate homeland where they could live with freedom, dignity, and harmony.

He said, “It is a day to pay rich tributes to our forefathers, who underwent great trial and tribulation during the Pakistan movement for the sake of our prosperous and secure future.”

Dr Hilali said, “It is a day to make a pledge to work tirelessly in their selected professions for the progress and prosperity of Pakistan and utilize all our energy to make Pakistan economically prosperous.”