Pakistan is celebrating her 69th birth anniversary amidst great internal political unrest and external threats that are out to destabilize the country's government. The Nation is enjoying a closed holiday and all the Mission abroad are also celebrating the day in a befitting manner. Not only the country is engaged in the "War on Terror" in the North Waziristan areas, but campaign have also been started to fight the terrorists in Karachi, the first Capital city of Pakistan.
Unfortunately Pakistan does not seem to be on good terms with the neighboring countries like Afghanistan and India. Our relations with the US are also a bit sour for one reason or other. Kashmir is still a festering sore, as the Indian government does not heed to the UN resolution for holding a plebiscite to determine the wishes of the held Kashmiris. The Kashmiris are holding demonstrations for their right of plebiscite, but the Indian government is trying to silence the Kashmiris with the bullets. Long curfews are clamped, arrests are being made of the innocent people and about 60 demonstrators have lost their lives and a number of the other demonstrators are maimed and have lost their eyes due to pellet-firing. The whole world is watching this ghastly drama and not a finger has been raised by any country to intervene in the matter. Pakistan is desperately urging the UN to come to the rescue of the oppressed Kashmiris.
After the tragic fall of the Mughal Empire of the king Bahadur Shah, the Muslims lost their prestigious position and became ruled from the rulers. The Muslims of the subcontinent were already hostile with English rulers so the English lost faith in them and the responsible jobs were not given to them. On the contrary the Hindus wooed the English with kindness and were in the good books of the English rulers. The prevailing conditions caused a great concern among the Muslim thinkers, political leaders and the religious heads. The Muslim politicians founded the All India Muslim League to get a platform to lend force to their demands in 1906 with Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk, as its first President. On his return from England, Jinnah first joined the All India Hindu Congress to bring the Hindu-Muslim unity. He resigned from the Hindu Congress due to their increasing prejudices. On being requested by Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar he joined the All India Muslim League in 1913.
Credit goes to Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, who started his Aligarh educational programmes to produce and groom the Muslim educated youth so they could also compete with the Hindu youths in competitive examinations for Civil Services. Quaid-e-Azam called the students his arsenal. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan also propounded his Two Nation Theory that the Hindus and the Muslims were two different nations, having religious, educational, cultural and traditional differences, so they needed a separate homeland in the subcontinent where the Muslims and their future generations could live in peace without any hindrance. Dr Muhammad Iqbal - the great poet-cum-philosopher of the east also made a speech on the need of a separate homeland for the Muslims in the subcontinent in 1930.
On March 23, 1940 A.K Fazalul Haq, a national Muslim leader moved the Pakistan Resolution at Lahore, which was seconded by another Muslim Leaguer Chaudhary Khaliquzzaman. The Resolution was adopted unanimously. The Two Nation Theory was also debated among other matters. The Resolution proved turning point for the Muslims throughout the country. It was vehemently opposed by the Hindu Congress who termed it was the vivisection of the Mother India. It led to the Hindu-Muslim riots, which went out of control of the British rulers. The Quaid-e-Azam met the English Viceroy lord Luis Mountbatten and told him that he should convey to the British government that the riots would not stop unless the demand of the Muslims was accepted. The struggle for Pakistan culminated on August 14, 1947 when Pakistan emerged on the world map.
The emergence of Pakistan, an independent Muslim Sovereign state is nothing short of a miracle or a thunder-clap it was due to the persistent effort, unfailing devotion and dedication that resulted in achieving Pakistan. Sadly, the qualities of the head and heart that our pioneering politicians possessed are rarely found in the present age. While the old guards of Pakistan served and sacrificed their interests, the present generation of the politicians is more interested in self, agrandiments, grabbing power and pelf. The interests of the poor are only on lips and little is done to improve their lives.
Let us hope that in future more honest efforts will be made at all levels to benefit the poor. Let us strive to make Pakistan a citadel of Islam as envisaged by the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. His golden words Unity, Faith and Discipline still hold good to steer us all out of the troubled waters.
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