Political ‘surrender’ of 1958 that shook the foundations of Pakistan

History is full of accounts of surrender and retreat. In the American Civil war (1861-1865) Confederate General in Chief Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union Army. A lot has been written about this act of surrender. Historians believe it was an act of chivalry on his part. When he was surrounded and out of options, he decided to save lives.

When peace agreement was signed in Geneva to end the Afghan War I, the Soviet troops retreated. The US forces were made to leave as they could no longer standup to the Taliban resistance in the Afghan War II; it was called the Doha Accord. Their hand-picked President Ashraf Ghani abandoned his position and left the country.

In the month of October 1958, a political surrender took place in the land of the pure. Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan, the President of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and the most popular leader of his time, was leading a long march. With my Muslim League father Nazir Ahmed Malik, I stood on the Mall waiting to receive Khan Sahib but he never made it.

He was arrested on the Ravi Bridge and taken to the dungeons of the Lahore Fort where he was kept for a few days. Sheepishly, he entered a compromise with the usurper and decided to quit politics and go home. It was a major surrender by the most able and popular leader. Political circles were shocked. I with my dad, the fighter and Quaid’s soldier, went to meet his leader after he was released.

My father unloaded all his questions; “Khan Sahib you have played a key role in the freedom movement, including the great referendum victory after which KPK (NWFP then) voted to join Pakistan.

Why did you surrender without a fight?” Till today I remember the words of the ‘Double Barrel Khan’ as he was called; “Malik Sahib the jails under the Raj were very different, Jail manuals were followed and rights of political prisoners respected, no decent individual can endure the rigours of these dungeons”. Several political prisoners were tortured here, including Hasan Nasir, an activist who hailed from the state of Hyderabad. When his mother came to collect his mutilated body, it was un-recognisable.

It did not end here, through his EBDO (Elected Bodies Disqualification Ordinance) the usurper sent the entire political leadership packing to be replaced by characters like the Nawab of Kalabagh, Malik Amir Muhammad Khan, to lead West Pakistan and Abdul Monem Khan in the Eastern Wing to name a few democracy descriptionists. Military Tribunals were set up for trials of politicians, most decided to go home.

Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy the un-disputed leader of East Pakistan not only challenged his disqualification but also got himself exonerated of all charges. Suhrawardy was an able and popular leader who commanded massive public support.

With Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah they were hounded in the country that they had created. While Madre Millat was kept under house arrest, he went into self-exile to Beirut where he was found dead in mysterious circumstances in his hotel room. A few years later the mother of the nation met a similar end and is now buried next to her brother in Karachi.

Progressive writers and poets challenged the onslaught against unarmed civilians. Habib Jalib, for example, openly challenged the dictator with his rendition of poems of resistance. He was imprisoned and humiliated. My own uncle (Mamoo) Dr Salim Wahid Salim, a progressive writer and poet, decided to go on hunger strike.

He set up a camp across from the gate of the Civil Secretariat, the seat of power. He had three demands: return of Army to the barracks, trial of the murder of first Prime Minister (PM), withdrawal of intelligence agencies trailing progressive writers and poets.

After twelve days without food, he started to sink. No one in authority came to negotiate with him. Finally, my father was given the task to save his life at all costs, which he did.

A fake negotiation was arranged in which a promise was made to seriously consider all his demands. His life was saved but the Republic was compromised. Perhaps his death may have sparked a movement to save Pakistan. Till today his three demands remain current and un-fulfilled. The only difference being that the list of slain PMs has expanded (Liaquat Ali, Zulfiqar Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto).

There is a clear difference between settlement and surrender. For settlement both sides must be strong and willing to fight otherwise surrender takes place as it happened in October 1958.

On October 07, 1958, Iskander Mirza, the first President of the Republic, attacked democracy by abrogating the 1956 constitution under which he had taken oath and imposed Martial Law in the country; followed by Ayub Khan the first Desi Sipah-e-Salar to take over on October 27, 1958. It was called the ‘October Revolution’. In fact, it was a sell-out to the Western powers.

Democratic forces were cornered and punished, those who resisted were crushed. The facade lasted for ten years. When the usurper decided to celebrate his ‘Decade of Progress’ street protests started led by students and labour unions. Finally, on March 25, 1969, his iron-fisted rule came to an end, but the damage had been done. His inflicted fissures resulted in the break-up of Jinnah’s Pakistan.

In the information age people seek amicable settlement not surrender. Mandate of the masses must prevail. The 1956 constitution could have saved the federation had the surrender not taken place then.

During the MRD (Movement for the Restoration of Democracy) movement against the third usurper several activists were jailed here, including my friend Comrade Parvaiz Saleh. It was the Muhammad Khan Junejo who as PM ordered shutting down these anti-democracy torture cells

In the year 2024, the un-altered 1973 constitution is the way forward and there should be no surrender this time to save of what remains of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Father of the nation Muhammad Ali Jinnah and his sister Madre Millat Fatima Jinnah must be turning in their graves as the people of Pakistan continue to fight for their democratic rights after 77 years of so-called freedom. Settlement, not surrender, is the way forward.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024