Pakistan Studies
2019
QNO.3
Answer
11th August may seem like an ordinary date to many but in reality, the date not only
holds national significance but it is also widely considered as one of the most
important days in the history of the Sub-continent. The date marks the time when the
great leader, Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah took oath as the first president of
the constituent assembly of Pakistan and delivered his first Presidential Address.
For everyone residing in the assembly at the time, the time was of crucial importance
and proved to be an emotional moment for everyone as they were finally realizing
their lifelong dream. After a constant struggle of nearly 17 years, the Islamic Republic
of Pakistan was finally becoming a reality.
In his all-important debut address, Quaid laid specific importance to different
problems that had plagued the Indian Subcontinent at the time. Jinnah’s address was
divided into 10 different parts, all of which laid the grounds to the actual and main
ideology of Pakistan.
In the first part, the Quaid thanked the participants of the session to have bestowed the
great honor of becoming the President. Next, he declared that the National Assembly
had two main functions to perform. First of which was framing the constitution of the
country and the other was to function as a completely sovereign body as the Federal
Legislature of Pakistan.
Further Quaid emphasized on the importance of the mantainence of law, order and
timely justice in the newly formed country. Most importantly, he declared that the life,
property and the religious beliefs of every citizen should be protected by the state.
Jinnah termed bribery, corruption, black marketing, nepotism, and jobbery as evils
that had to be eradicated so that the nation could prosper.
Jinnah believed in oneness and equality for all and that is how he wanted
Pakistan to progress
Jinnah also talked about how some people believed that certain terms of division of
land were unfair. But he stated that since an agreement had been reached, it was the
duty of every citizen to abide by it and live accordingly. He stated that obviously there
were many people who were against the idea of a divided India but a united India
could never have prospered. Quaid emphasized on the fact that unity and brotherhood
was the only way forward for Pakistan. The people of the newly formed Pakistan had
to put their religious, social and political differences aside to help the country progress
as one nation.
“You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques
or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any
religion or caste or creed -- that has nothing to do with the business of the State”
Jinnah pointed out that Hindus of Pakistan and Muslims of Pakistan should coexist
and help each other since he believed that religious was a personal affair and one that
had little to do with the wellbeing of a country.
The Presidential Address of 11th August 1947, surfaced in the form of a controversy
later throughout the years. This is because certain people were not ready to accept the
fact that Quaid e Azam talked about religious freedom and the rights of minorities in
this historical address. As a consequence, these mafias tried altering his speech and
even tried removing and completely eradicating it from the archives of the country. It
is very unfortunate that the original wordings from Quaid’s Address is very rarely
found.
