Kamran Khamiso Khowaja & Asifa A Rasool
Issues of minorities must be considered political rather than religious, this approach will make our lives easier this was the central notion of Quaid’s speech delivered on 11 August 1947. We can find a clear strategy of Pakistan’s development and progress in this speech of our founder delivered on the floor of the first law making assembly. Whenever the rights of minorities are being violated this particular speech of Quaid is used as an especial reference to figure out the importance of minorities rights as this speech has defined the purpose of Pakistan’s creation as well. In this speech he said that;” we as a nation can only progress by working for the uplift of poor and downtrodden people of this state”, we have to work irrespective of color, creed, caste, religion and personal knots considering the fact that every citizen of this state is equal in the eyes of law and can benefit from the resources of this state. This speech further contained the structure of rights defined for the citizens of newly created state emphasizing on the eradication of religious, class and caste discrimination from our society. Though it is utterly amazing that Quaid’s view regarding minorities’ rights hasn’t gained much ground ever in this country. In the view of Quaid our society should be free of all kinds of differences for example “Majority, Minority” difference. A state cannot be formed by combining few tribes or communities; it consists of a large society comprising different communities and tribes and brotherhood and unity is instrumental for the very existence of that Issues of minorities must be considered political rather than religious, this approach will make our lives easier this was the central notion of Quaid’s speech delivered on 11 August 1947. We can find a clear strategy of Pakistan’s development and progress in this speech of our founder delivered on the floor of the first law making assembly. Whenever the rights of minorities are being violated this particular speech of Quaid is used as an especial reference to figure out the importance of minorities rights as this speech has defined the purpose of Pakistan’s creation as well. In this speech he said that;” we as a nation can only progress by working for the uplift of poor and downtrodden people of this state”, we have to work irrespective of color, creed, caste, religion and personal knots considering the fact that every citizen of this state is equal in the eyes of law and can benefit from the resources of this state. This speech further contained the structure of rights defined for the citizens of newly created state emphasizing on the eradication of religious, class and caste discrimination from our society. Though it is utterly amazing that Quaid’s view regarding minorities’ rights hasn’t gained much ground ever in this country. In the view of Quaid our society should be free of all kinds of differences for example “Majority, Minority” difference. A state cannot be formed by combining few tribes or communities; it consists of a large society comprising different communities and tribes and brotherhood and unity is instrumental for the very existence of that state. Quaid’s speech of 14 August 1947 states a heedful and prudent approach of Quaid about the rights of minorities where he called the issues of minorities Political not religious. In his 1935 address to the constitution formation committee he said that religion should be separated from politics as religion is a secret relationship of Man and God. Rights of a citizen of a state were divided into two categories by Quaid. The first category contained the rights relating to religious freedom while in the second category he talked about civilian, social and political rights of a citizen. In the light of this categorization minorities have equal rights as any other citizen of this state has. Following the ideology of Quaid if we avoid dragging religion in politics and endorsing the issues of minorities as political, we will be able to make our society peaceful and progressive. Though Quaid lived most of his life in western society, his views about the rights of minorities were very much inspired from Islamic ideology.
(-The writers areLaw Students, Human RIghts Activists and Columnist with special interest in Socio- Political Issues Based in Sujawal. )
