March 30, 2024
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Happy Birthday our dear Quaid

Jinnah was born for a cause. We need to follow his principles to prove that our Quaid didn’t die in vain.

by Maria Gul Laraib

 

“Failure is a word unknown to me”: said our dear Quaid Mohammad Ali Jinnah and proved it!!

He was a great leader, politician and barrister, born on 25th December 1876 who was destined to guide the Muslims in their massive struggle for a separate homeland.

Truth it is! That Jinnah was sent as a messiah for the help of oppressed, depressed and shattered Muslims of the subcontinent.

Undoubtedly, Mohammad Ali Jinnah was a man of words! Though he was a handsome young man of a progressive approach yet his inner self was enlightened with the real faith of Islam. His eyes projected the true spirit to do something for the betterment of Muslim Ummah. His actions had the same valour, bravery, sincerity and political tactics that’s worn out examples are found in the golden history of Muslims….

As I remember a rational saying by our poet of the east and a diehard friend of Quaid-e- Azam:

Jalal-E-Padshahi ho K Jamhoori Tamasha Ho

Juda Ho Deen Siasat Se To Reh Jati Hai Changaizi

(Translation)

Statecraft divorced from Faith to region of terror leads,

Though it be a monarch’s rule or Commoner’s Show

Jinnah acquired his higher education of barrette law from Lincoln’s Inn in England. During his long stay in the Great Britain he was not only inspired by the democratic politics and equality based rule of law of the civilized Britain’s but his personal preferences and view points were also greatly influenced by their ultra modern and disciplined lifestyle.

That was the major reason that made our unmatchable barrister and a great political leader successful to understand the nefarious tactics of British and Hindu politicians in the subcontinent and compete with them with full determination and consistency.

Even the Viceroy of British India Lord Wavell admired him by saying:

“Mr. Jinnah was one of the handsomest men I have ever seen; he combined the clear cut, almost Grecian features of the west with oriental grace and movement”

This shows that our dear Quaid was a perfect role model for the British rulers and Hindu theologists of that time as well.

But, sadly after 73 years of the inception of Pakistan which Quaid gave us, we are not able to acknowledge the real worth of the blessing of ‘freedom’ and an ideal example of leadership which Jinnah set up for us to follow.

Our dear Quaid not only founded a separate peace of autonomous and sovereign land for us but also taught us all the ways to live a prosperous and disciplined life in it as a ‘united nation’.

Undoubtedly he says: “With faith, discipline and selfless devotion to duty, there is nothing worthwhile that you cannot achieve”

We often quote his sayings on different occasions but do we ever try to follow them! The answer in No…

If we analyze the situation around us we will find that the worst examples of faithlessness and undisciplined attitudes in our so called Islamic society.

I turn the pages of a book and drench in the pain of regret while reading an address by Quaid to the Armed Forces in Aug 14, 1947:

“Do not forget that the armed forces are the servants of the people and you do not make national policy, it is we, the civilians, who decide these issues and it is your duty to carry out these tasks with which you are entrusted”

Sadly the socio-political situation in Pakistan after the demise of Quaid has been the opposite of what our first Governor General asked the army soldiers to do… Pakistan has been politically made captive and socially suppressed by 4 marital laws in its history. Yes, it is our responsibility to respect and value the sacrifices by our Pak Army.

But, meddling in the administrative and constitutional matters of the State, the Pak Army not only negated the advice of the father of their nation but has lost the blind trust of their civilian brothers on them….  

On the other hand I, as an individual stand as a confused person who does not think even once while taking a decision and many times, have to step back when I can’t handle it. The same situation goes on with the other individuals of my nation. Why!!

Because we didn’t even consider Jinnah’s golden advice to us that: “Think 100 times before your take a decision. But once that decision is taken, stand by it as one man”

Quaid-e-Azam also advised us that: “No struggle can ever take place without women taking side by side part in it.”

Then why today, only 20.40% women are employed in Pakistan according to the World Bank survey in 2012. The bitter truth behind our failure as a nation is that we have been continuously violating women rights by eliminating them from every struggle!!

Now all of us get depressed when we have to fight for our ‘freedom within a freed State’. From the last 10 years Pakistanis have been striving not only for internal peace but for external peace as well.

Every patriotic citizen on this land wants to stop fighting with their own Sindhi, Balochi and Pathan and non-Muslim brothers because under the ‘green flag’ we are only Pakistanis!!
And Yes! It is our need to establish a healthy diplomatic relations with our neighboring countries to maintain external peace because:  

“Our object should be peace within, and peace without. We want to live peacefully and maintain cordial relations with our immediate neighbors and with the world at large”: said our dear Quaid.

Now, whoever is destroying our peace and sabotaging our bilateral relations with our neighboring States can only be defeated by following the golden principles of the life of Quaid-e-Azam.

Jinnah was born for a cause. And the ‘birthday’ of our Quaid is the best time to start following his sayings. Only then we will be able to prove that the founder of this nation and the first Governor General of Pakistan didn’t die in vain….

Truth uttered by Lord Pethick Lawrence:

“Gandhi died by the hands of assassination; Jinnah died by his devotion to Pakistan.”