A jungle of rhetorics

Wajid Shamsul Hasan
Pakistan is a jungle of rhetoric-mongering — full of sound and fury signifying nothing. What we were designed to be, what we have come to be and what perhaps we will be — bother every sane Pakistani who has a historic perspective. We had usual ritualistic March 23 Pakistan Day – a grand affair, fly past of our mighty air force, impressive flotillas, and of course the display of a series of missiles of varied ranges including nuclear warheads.There was an enthusiastic fervour, colourful bunting and flags all over the country. Everyone seemed to celebrate it and reflecting a national resilience to strive, to seek and not to yield.Our rich galaxy of television channels — nearly a hundred — had special programmes. Leaders, intellectuals/academics/historians, all got time to spill out their own narratives. And this was amply manifested in the responses of the common men, women and children when interviewed, except for a few, no one had a clue what was the importance of the occasion. I came across an article “When the past is the future” by Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif that day. I thought that perhaps in it I will find the elusive answer to my confusion. I read it painstakingly from top to bottom – indeed very well written and the choice of words was exquisite. However, I could not get to understand what was it about. It talks about Allama Iqbal’s historic speech at Allahabad in 1930, which according to him gave clarity, probably for the first time, to what Allama thought was good for Muslims to seek. No doubt in his presidential address at the 25th Session of the All-India Muslim League, Iqbal delved deep into the question of “Muslim identity by employing his scholarly insights and penetrating intellect to conclude that by every definition of the word, the Muslims qualified to be called a nation.
This address signalled an end to intellectual obscurity and the rebirth of Muslim political thought. Iqbal gave Muslims a voice in the political wilderness.”

I consider Allama Iqbal’s son (late) Justice Javed Iqbal as the most authentic exponent of Iqbal’s vision and Pakistan’s raison d’etre as enunciated by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Commenting on Allama Iqbal’s Allahabad address, Justice Javed Iqbal once said, “nowhere his father talks of independence for Muslims.”

According to him, Allama Mohammad Iqbal sought maximum autonomy for Muslim majority areas within the Dominion of an Independent India. Further, in the interview he categorically and rightly claims, even Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah did not want an independent Muslim state. Jinnah too wanted “autonomous” states within Dominion of India as per the Lahore Resolution and “full autonomy” is what he accepted later.Allama Dr Javed Iqbal quotes in his interview from former Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh’s book:“Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence” that blames Hindu Congress leadership for “making Pakistan”. More emphatically put by Dr Javed Iqbal – “Hindus made Pakistan”. As a matter of fact, Dr Javed Iqbal Sahib advised that in this context one should read Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s book “India Wins Freedom” – particularly that portion which he had wished to be published after his death. This portion later published had stated the role of Congress leadership in the creation of Pakistan.

Remember Jinnah had accepted June 3 Plan within the framework of a confederal India. Not only that 16 years earlier too Jinnah in his 14 points had sought maximum autonomy for Muslim majority areas within the Dominion. His proposal, if the Congress had accepted it, it would have led to the freedom from the British yoke much earlier than 1947. Both Moti Lal Nehru and his son Jawaharlal Nehru said a firm No to Jinnah’s fourteen points.

Dr Javed Iqbal’s book on the ideology of Pakistan demolishes all those clerics that claim the basis of Pakistan is religion. In his TV interview, he has called upon Pakistan’s political leadership to let Pakistan be on its own rather than promote itself as an apron-string of so-called Ummah that is neither here nor there.

Unfortunately, Pakistan’s history has been distorted and disfigured by the vested interests beyond the pale of truth and what we see today is nothing but lies and more lies as succinctly put by Professor (Late) K.K. Aziz’s monumental book “Murder of History”.

How Jinnah’s vision of Pakistan was subverted was manifested in the most sinister conspiracy by Secretary General of the government Choudhry Muhammad Ali in collaboration with his fellow conspirators within the civil, military and judicial bureaucracy in cahoots with the religious parties that had opposed Pakistan and MAJ. Imagine how powerful he was that he dared to censor Jinnah’s speech of August 11, 1947, rightly called his Magna Carta for Pakistan. Had we translated his scheme of things into action, Pakistan would have become a nation-state within no time with equality for all its citizens irrespective of caste, creed, colour or gender with religion having nothing to do with the business of the state.

When we can successfully carry out Zarb-e-Azb and launch latest operation Raddul Fasaad, one wonders why can’t we take it to the logical end by eliminating notoriously known clerics responsible for Red Mosque massacre in 2007 now parading as Sheikhul Swalaheen as if they are the uncrowned king in the capital. Same is the situation with groups in Punjab. We need to act quickly before it’s too late.