KARACHI: Allama Iqbal wanted an independent state. He first proposed the idea of an independent Muslim state in 1930 at a meeting in Allahabad. Later, in his booklet “Now and Never”, Chaudhry Rehmat Ali named this independent state as Pakistan.

These views were expressed by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s grandnephew Liaquat H Merchant while addressing a dialogue session on “Relations between Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam”. The dialogue was hosted by the Board of Management of the Quaid-e-Azam House Museum here on Saturday.

Allama Iqbal’s grandson Senator Walid Iqbal, Vice Chairman of the Board of Management of Quaid-e-Azam Museum Ikram Sehgal, Secretary-General Commodore Sadeed Ahmed (Retd) and Vice-Chancellor Zia-ud-Din University Dr. Irfan Haider were also present.

Liaquat Merchant said that Allama Iqbal was the ideal logical father of the country and he conceived of the idea of a separate Muslim homeland ten years before the Resolution of March, 1940 commonly known as Pakistan Resolution. By this time Allama Iqbal had passed away but during the period 1930-1940 Allama Iqbal was largely instrumental in persuading Jinnah who was then popularly called “Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity” to turn around and embrace the two-nation theory as contemplated by Allama Iqbal earlier and on 23rd March, 1940 on the passing of the Pakistan Resolution. Significantly, the Pakistan Resolution does not name “Pakistan” but speaks of four areas namely Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and North West Frontier Province.

Merchant added: the Mother of the Nation, Fatima Jinnah, invited me to come to Pakistan in 1964, since then I have been serving Pakistan.

Addressing the occasion, Allama Iqbal’s grandson Senator Walid Iqbal said that the establishment of Pakistan would not have been possible without Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal.

Walid Iqbal said that in the last days of Iqbal, Pandit Nehru met him and said that if it were not for him no one would have known Jinnah. This offended Allama Iqbal and he said that I am Jinnah’s soldier. This is a testament to the trust and confidence between the two leaders. He said that Allama Iqbal’s voice on social media was being wrongly attributed to the fact that neither All India Radio, nor the British or any international radio had any recording of Allama Iqbal. Responding to a question from the participants, he said that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as the Governor-General of Pakistan had set an example of running the fledgling state effectively under the presidential system.

Ikram Sehgal, Vice Chairman, Quaid-e-Azam Museum Management Board, moderating the event, said that this was a historic event similar to the ones held in 2006 and 2007 where Justice Javed Iqbal (R) son of Allama Iqbal and Liaquat H. Merchant grandnephew of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had participated. And now Iqbal’s grandson Senator Walid Iqbal was a part of the conversation. Everyone talks about themselves, but when there is a dialogue about each other, it adds to the information. To guide the new generation and acquaint the youth with the concept of Pakistan, it is necessary to provide information on the sayings of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal.

Ikram Sehgal said that in this ceremony the vision of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal was re-remembered which today’s generation has forgotten.

Before the dialogue, Secretary-General of the Board of Management Commodore Sadeed Ahmad Malik (Retd) welcomed the distinguished guests, speakers, and participants.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022