Daily Times

On August 19, celebrating the 75th anniversary of Pakistan’s Independence Day in (Oman) Muscat, Ambassador Imran Ali Chaudhry addressed a gathering of expatriate Pakistanis. Ambassador Chaudhry is known for serving expatriates. He earned an accolade for helping the ex-pats in the United States, where he was Third Secretary in Pakistan’s Embassy, Washington, D.C., at the time when the gory incident of 9/11 took place. He visited jails personally and got hundreds of Pakistanis released. A few years ago, he served as Consul General at Pakistan’s Embassy (Barcelona) Spain during the horrifying times of the COVID-19 outbreak. When the locals were falling, he kept the embassy’s door open round the clock, even on Sundays. He made himself available to the Pakistani community 24/7.

In Muscat, on the occasion, Ambassador Chaudhry underlined key events of Pakistan’s history, both before and after Partition. Some of them need reiteration here. First, both Pakistan and India willfully teach the next generation a distorted version of history, the kind of history, which suits their projected nationalism. The true history is that the Nehru Report of 1928 (presented by Motilal Nehru) compelled Mohammad Ali Jinnah to propose amendments, on the failure of which Jinnah had to drop the option of a united India. Jinnah wept and said “parting of the ways.” Another occasion crossed Jinnah’s path in May 1946, when Jinnah saw an option of united India in the Cabinet Mission Plan securing the constitutional rights of Indian Muslims in the formula of a three-tier federation. In his book, “Partition of India: Legend and Reality (1989),” Hormasji Maneckji Seervai, a constitutional expert in India, acknowledged these points. The same is the stance of Jaswant Singh in his book, “Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence (2009).” Nevertheless, from June 1946 to June 1947 (before the partition plan of June 3), Jinnah ran from pillar to post to get the federal three-tier scheme approved by the Indian National Congress. He also visited London. Unfortunately, the consequent London Talks could not make their way to the history books of Pakistan and India.

Pakistan was not a product of any street agitation but constitutional reforms, the Government of India Act 1935, and long, gruelling negotiations inside assemblies.

As a statesman, Jinnah supported the scheme vehemently because it could stave off the partition of Bengal and Punjab and hence, save the population from bloodshed. On June 10, Jawaharlal Nehru misinterpreted the Plan and Stafford Cripps (a member of the Cabinet Mission) turned his deaf ear and, contrary to his earlier promise, refused to hand over power to Jinnah’s party. This was the first and only time that Jinnah appealed to the streets for Direct Action. Otherwise, Jinnah contested the case of Pakistan in the House. The Nehru family pushed Jinnah to the path of Muslim separatism.

Second, Allama Iqbal’s role as the dreamer of Pakistan relates more to his last days when he wrote seven letters to Jinnah, who had settled in London after the failure of the Round Table Conferences in 1932. Two letters became public. In these letters, one can find Iqbal entreating Jinnah to return and save the Indian Muslims from perpetual subjugation.

Third, Pakistan was not a product of any street agitation. Instead, it was a product of constitutional reforms, the Government of India Act 1935, and long gruelling negotiations that took place in assemblies. Jinnah pleaded Pakistan’s case constitutionally and not emotionally. Pakistan emanated from the Indian parliament after arduous debates. The place of decisions is the parliament and not the streets.

Fourth, in 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru had the companionship of Mohandas Gandhi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and even a civil servant V.P. Menon, who personally visited princely states and got instruments of accession signed in favour of India. Jinnah was hoary, ill and feeble. The critics must give some leeway to Jinnah, who was contesting singlehandedly the last case of his life. Fifth, on 23 March 1956, the day Pakistan became the world’s first Islamic Republic, two Bengalis of the Awami League were important: Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy and Mujib-ul Rehman. Suhrawardy, Pakistan’s fifth Prime Minister, wanted certain social reforms, besides unadulterated democracy, to ensure a united Pakistan. However, he was hounded out of the country. From the opening emerged Rehman, who raised his voice louder to guarantee the emergence of Bangladesh in December 1971.

Sixth, during the Sino-India war of 1962, Pakistan exercised restraint on the demand of the west, which had vowed the settlement of the Kashmir issue by negotiations afterwards. Pakistan could have captured Kashmir. However, the west never fulfilled its promise. Seventh, Pakistan decided not to repeat 1971, and this vow led to making Pakistan nuclear. On the way, unnamed soldiers lost their lives and many are still behind bars somewhere, but they offered Pakistan permanent security. Eighth, Pakistan got the best irrigation system in the world, but the country is still short of big dams. After the Indus Basin Treaty of 1960, Pakistan constructed two dams, but then Pakistan squandered three decades in deciding on the third dam. In the meantime, the country fell into dam controversies, which are thwarting Pakistan from building any major dam. Ninth, the Lahore Declaration of February 1999 was a giant moment in Pakistan’s history. It was the day when the Indian cabinet visited Lahore by bus and paid homage to Pakistan’s independence at the Minar-e Pakistan, Lahore. Tenth, Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman deserves respect because he refused to speak against Pakistan despite insistence from the Indian media. He said that he was respected and protected during captivity in February 2019.

Eleventh, the late Asma Jehangir Advocate was a legend who should have been respected in her lifetime. The Pakistanis are poor at recognizing their stars and tend to disrespect dissent. No society can thrive would dissent. Twelfth, Pakistan yearns for women’s empowerment, still not available in many countries. Recently, Pakistan has upgraded the law for the protection of women from harassment at the workplace, expressing that Pakistan is not a retrograde state. Thirteenth, the 18th Constitutional Amendment offers Pakistan unity, suppressing any version of a secessionist movement. Even Punjab sacrificed its share for Baluchistan. Politicians deserve praise for such a fine document. Fourteenth, the making of the Kartarpur Corridor for a religious minority is a living miracle, showing Pakistan’s embedded tolerance. Ask the Sikhs how grateful they feel about Pakistan.

The writer can be reached at qaisarrashid @yahoo.com.