The nation will celebrate today the Pakistan Day with traditional zeal and fervour for the historic "Lahore Resolution" of 23rd March, 1940, which played an important role in the struggle for the freedom movement of our country. The day recalls that Islam was the sole purpose behind the creation of Pakistan because the Hindus began to get domination on the political horizon of India after the downfall of the Mughal empire.
In connivance with the British, they left no stone unturned to harm the Muslims. This sense of deprivation compelled the Muslims to remain united at the political forum of the Muslim League for the safety of their religious, social and legal rights.
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was the first man who realised that the Hindus and the Muslims were two different nations and as such they could not live together. His Two-Nation Theory was later adopted by the prominent Muslim leaders like Chaudhry Rahmat Ali, Liaquat Ali Khan, Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah for starting the Pakistan Movement.
According to record, the Congress ruled in seven provinces of India between 1937 and 1939 wherein the bigoted Hindus gave the worst treatment of injustice and humiliation to the Muslims.
The British had planned to transfer power to the Congress at the end of the World War II, leaving the oppressed Muslims at the mercy of the Hindu majority. It was the foresight of the Quaid-i-Azam that he had seen this danger situation for the Muslims at the appropriate time. This critical phase forced the Quaid to carry out the valuable advice of Allama Iqbal, which he gave to him before his death in 1938, that the Muslim League should struggle for the division of India into Muslim and Hindu majority areas.
These were the major factors, which directed the Muslim League to use a proper platform to raise its voice at that time for a separate homeland. This platform in known in our history as "Lahore Resolution" This honour goes to a prominent leader of Bengal, A.K. Fazlul Haq, who moved this resolution in the 27th session of All India Muslim League, held on 22nd March, 1940 at Minto Park, Lahore, which was largely attended by the Muslims and their prominent leaders from all over the India. The session was presided over by the Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. The Resolution was approved by the All India Muslim League on 23rd March, 1940 after being seconded by Chaudhry Khaliquz Zaman, a veteran leader of the Muslim League.
The Muslim League declared through the Lahore Resolution that it will not accept any plan for India which did not allow the Muslims to form an independent State in those parts of India where they were in majority, so that they could lead their lives in accordance with the teachings of Islam.
The Hindu leaders of the Congress bitterly opposed the demand of the Muslim League for an independent Muslim State through division of India. They declared it as "great sin" and dissection of "Mother India".
Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah pleaded the case of the Muslims at every in accordance with the framework of the Lahore Resolution and defeated the opponents of Pakistan through his valid arguments and able political strategy for the partition of India. Porf. Mumtaz Ahmed Qureshi writes about this capability of Jinnah in his book "Current English composition" at two places:
1) Speaking on the rationale of Pakistan, the Quaid said: "The Pakistan Movement had started when the first non-Muslim was converted to Islam in India long before the Muslims established their rules".
2) The Quaid gave the idea of Muslim separatism in a positive orientation by saying, "Pakistan means not only freedom from British and Hindus tutelage; it also means Muslim ideology".
The Quaid-i-Azam was a man of firm determination. He wanted to see the same spirit from his nation in the implementation of any plan or policy after its adoption, particularly with reference to the Lahore Resolution. Professor Mumtaz Qureshi, writes about this spirit of the Quaid in the same book at another place:
"Think a hundred times before you take the decision but when the decision is taken, stand by it as one man".
The Pakistan Movement spread all over India through this spirit of the Quaid like a wild fire. Thus, the oppressed Muslims of the sub-continent gathered under the able and dynamic leadership of Jinnah for acquisition of a separate homeland for them.
The experience of the Hindu-Muslim unity had totally been a failure during the tenure of the British Government after witnessing communal riots, lawlessness and disturbance on a number of occasions in India. The Quaid, therefore, advised the British that partition of India was necessary for the solution of all problems.
At last, after the strenuous struggle of the Quaid-i-Azam, Pakistan appeared on the horizon of the world as an independent State on 14th August, 1947.
The day reminds us that Pakistan has been acquired after a prolonged struggle of our forefathers. It is due to their unprecedented sacrifices that Pakistan is now enjoying good reputation as an independent State among the Islamic countries in particular and international community in general. The day also gives us message to exercise our best efforts in every field of life for the progress, prosperity and upgrading the image of our country.