Pakistan appeared on the map of the World on August 14, 1947.It is mind-boggling to note, that even after sixty years of its coming into being, certain unscrupulous elements amongst us, at the behest of their local or foreign masters,are busy attributing wrong motives to the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e- Azam, Mohammad Ali Jinnah in regard to his efforts at carving out of the Indian sub-continent,a separate Muslim State.The present generation of Pakistanis,who were mostly born after partition{1947},have not, unfortunately,been adequately acquainted with the genesis of Pakistan. This lapse has provided an opportunity to the fifth-columnists, to poision the minds of the younger generation by exposing them to their biased and misleading propaganda against Pakistan Movement and its founder.

Their allegations have been grouped together in a book named," Facts Are Facts". An effort is being made to examine the gross distortions of facts made in the said book, in the light of authentic historical data. For brevity sake,only the minimum possible extracts from the relevant records, have been reproduced here.

The first charge levelled against the Quaid, is that initially, he was a staunch nationalist, why did he abdicate his said position and became a protagonist of the Two Nation Theory.

It is true, that in the beginning, Quaid was a strong advocate of the Hindu-Muslim unity and even earned the coveted title of " Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity"in recognition of his meritorious sevices to this effect.Quaid's differences with Gandhi arose in 1914,when the latter became the President of the Home Rule League and started behaving in an autocratic manner. He named the said league,as Swaraj Sabha, throwing out. all amendments moved by Mr. Jinnah .

Quaid's efforts were again frustrated by Hindus, who vigorously started the "Shuddhi"(reconversion of Muslims into Hinduism) and "Sangathan"(Hindu militancy) movements against the Muslims. To top this ,was the publication of the "Nehru Report", which completely over-threw all Muslim demands, including the separate electorates.Quaid had suggested certain amendments to make it acceptable to the Muslims,in the National Convention held at Calcutta in December,1928.But all his pleadings fell on deaf ears.He was now completely disenchanted with the Congress. Its malafide intentions towards Muslims were fully exposed. This was the Quaid's "parting of the ways" with the Congress. He was now convinced as to the validity of the Two-Nation Theory and its necessity for safe-guarding the rights. of Indian Muslims.

A grievous and even more despicable charge levelled against the Quaid and the Muslim League is, that they acted as agents of the British Govt., and that the idea of Pakistan was floated by the said Govt.and that Jinnah's aim simply was to sabotage the Indian freedom movement. In this respect, extracts from Mr. Gandhi's report make an interesting reading , " Gandhi informed C.R., how much he was flabbergasted by Jinnah's reasoning, strategy and tactics for achieving the independence of India. Jinnah tod him that if he (Gandhi) conceded Pakistan, he (Jinnah), stood ready to go to jail or even face bullets. He wants Pakistan now, not after independence.We will have independence for Pakistan and India.He said we should come to an agreement and then go to the Govt. and ask them to accept our solution".( Salahuddin Khan in his book,"Had There Been No Jinnah-p 703).An excerpt from" A Prime Minister Remembers " by Attlee: p-211:- "Division of India was not our wish at all. We had argued on every possible safe-guard for Muslims, but they would not do it.By this time they had become absolutely fixed on a separate Muslim state--Pakistan".(3) Another charge is, that by accepting the Cabinet Mission's Plan on June 6, 1946, the Muslim League had withdrawn its demand for Pakistan..In reply, it is stated that on the contrary,while accepting the Mission's proposals, the resolution reads."

The Council of All India Muslim League, reiterates that the attainment of the goal of complete sovereign Pakistan, still remains the unalterable objective of the Muslim India, but prompted by its earnest desire, for a peaceful solution of the constitutional problem,and, in as much as, the basis and foundation of Pakistan, are inherent in the Mission's Plan, ......(it) is willing to cooperate with the constitution making machinery, proposed in the scheme, outlined by the Mission, in the hope that, it will ultimately result in the establishment of Pakistan". It is thus clear, that demand for Pakistan was not abandoned. The Quaid-e-Azam, on the eve of partition,had closely watched the biased and partisan attitude of Mountbatten,in favour of Nehru and India.

" He seems to have reached the firm conclusion, that Mountbatten's continued presence as Governor General, is operating against Pakistan's interests". ( Mountbatten by Ziegar -p-374). Mountbatten was eager and insistent to be appointed the common Governor General of India and Pakistan.

Why Jinnah did not yield to Mountbatten's cajolery and threats, has been aptly described by Ch. Mohammad Ali, in his book," Emergence of Pakistan", an extract of which is reproduced here:" Jinnah by temperament and life-long training, had a constitutional bent of mind. He could not see how a common constitutional Governor General, faced with conflicting advices from two Dominion Cabinets, could discharge his responsibility properly. A common Governor General for two independent Govts. ,was to his mind a consitutional absurdity: strong as the constitutional argument against a common Governor General was, there was an even stronger political aspect.

Justice has not been done to the Quaid-e-Azam by his critics. It was a near impossible task for him to achieve, what he did in the short time available to him due to his fatal illness.He, therefore, had no place for kid-glove diplomacy, being pitted against a number of opponents sworn to keep Pakistan from coming into existence-- these were, the British, the Hindus,the Nationalist Ulemas and their kindred groups like, Jamat-e-Islami, the Ahrars ,the Khaksars and so on.Countering all of them was a lean, frail and lonely figure of a man fighting an almost single-handed battle against tremendous odds. Whatever his critics might say, he achieved miraculously for his people-the World's largest Muslim State, through a constitutional battle, in a short time--an event unknown in the annals of history.

-- Pakistan Observer