Daily Times

Islamia College Peshawar (ICP) is a unique alma-mater of Khyber Pakthunkhwa that was visited by father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah three times in his life to acknowledge historic role of its students during Pakistan Movement.

Impressed by its students’ role during Pakistan Movement, the legendary Quaid visited ICP in 1936, 1945 and 1948 as first Governor General of Pakistan where he highly praised their patriotism, commitment and devotion in completion of his difficult mission for Pakistan.

ICP was established by Muslim League leader Sir Abdul Qayyum Khan in 1913, and today it attained the status of a public sector university.

The great Quaid had received a rousing welcome when he came to Peshawar and ICP in 1945. The students of ICP and the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) presented him Rs8,000 as fund for Pakistan Movement, and after it the struggle for a seperate homeland for muslims of subcontinent were moved towards its logical end,” said Professor Dr. Muhammad Younas Khan of Pakistan Studies Department, ICP, while talking to APP.

“The arrival of the great leader of 20th century to Peshawar was a historic occasion where the students and MSF assured him to present 8,000 committed educated workers when he came again to this great alma-mater,” he said.

The great leader committed to the cause of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent had moved people of KP, who decorated their homes, bungalows, bazaars, markets, villages, towns and vehicles with national and Muslim League flags besides holding placards inscribed with different slogans of Pakistan Zindabad and Quaid-i-Azam Zindabad.

“The spirit and enthusiasm of people of KP was historic. Peshawar was beautifully decorated with national flags hoisted atop of all major buildings and vehicles wearing a festive look,” he said.

All bazzars including Qisa Khwani, Hasthnagri, cantonment, Firdus and Khyber were beautifully decorated with AIML flags hoisted a top of the buildings besides portraits of Quaid-e-Azam.

“I can easily recalled a sea of people with national flags and portraits of Quaid-i-Azam arrived from all districts of KP and erstwhile FATA to see few glimpses of their beloved leader when he came here in 1945 and later as first Governor General of Pakistan on April 12, 1948,” said Misal Khan, a retired Information Officer while talking to APP.

Besides senior citizens, the students, youth, labourers, farmers and people of all walks of life in cars, trucks, datsons and rickshaws thronged to Peshawar to welcome the legendary leader who changed world map through purely democratic struggle after creating Pakistan on August 14, 1947.

The people had showed an immense love for Quaid-i-Azam and that is why AIML secured a maximum number of seats in this province in the 1946 elections after that historic victory nobody could stop the independence movement of Pakistan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The great Quaid also paid his last visit to ICP as the first Governor General of Pakistan on April 12, 1948, and 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.”

He advised the students to develop a sound sense of discipline, character, and solid academic background and devote themselves towards their studies.

“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 told students. He desired construction of a University in Peshawar from where rays of knowledge spread to every parts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa.

Following a gap of one year, the Government established the University of Peshawar near ICP in 1949 in line with the Quaid’s vision. Quaid-i-Azam’s love for ICP could be judged from his historic will written on May 30, 1939, in Mumbai in which he declared ICP, Muslim University Aligarh and Sindh Madrassatul Islam Karachi, as among the inheritors of his property. Later, the Quaid Trust paid Rs10.81 million in different instalments to ICP.

The amount was later spent on the establishment of Quaid-i-Azam College of Commerce, University of Peshawar, the construction of Jinnah Residential Quarters for the college employees, Jinnah College for Women and the newly-constructed Takbeer block at ICP.

Quaid-i-Azam had an immense love for tribesmen of merged tribal districts (Erstwhile FATA) for their strong loyalty, supreme sacrifices and consistent support during the Pakistan Movement.

Despite hectic official engagements as the First Governor General of Pakistan, the great Quaid had visited Peshawar where he addressed a Grand Tribal Jira at Governor House, Peshawar on April 17, 1948. During his historic address to tribal jirga with the overwhelming representation of tribal people, chieftains and maliks from all tribal districts, the great Quaid highly praised the strong commitment, patriotism and support of tribesmen in the completion of his mission for Pakistan.

“The Quaid-i-Azam’s speech to students of ICP and tribal elders was historic. We can achieve every goal in life by strictly adhering to it,” said Manzoorul Haq former Ambassador while talking to APP.

The great Quaid knew that students were future builders of Pakistan and that was why he made repeated visits to ICP despite his hectic engagements and poor health condition, he added.

Quaid-e-Azam had laid great emphasis on education, character building and constructive criticism on the government for the sake of improvement and reformation rather than making point-scoring for political and personal gains.

Ambassador Manzoor said that every goal in life could be achieved by strictly following the Quaid’s principles of unity, faith and discipline.

He said it was high time to revitalize the legacy of the father of the nation by equipping students with the ornament of education and supporting our government to adopt a culture of constructive criticism for the sake of improvement to take the country forward towards prosperity.

The students of different schools visited ICP where they paid golowing tributes to the charismatic leader on his 148th birthday anniversary.

“I came from Peshawar Model School Peshawar to see the rare portraits of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Khyber Union hall of ICP where the great Quaid addressed students,” said Malaika Bibi, a student of 6th grade.

She said that ICP’s students historic role during Pakistan Movement and Quaid e Azam love for this great alma-mater has impressed her the most.