LAHORE RESOLUTION

Lahore Resolution The ‘Lahore Resolution’ (Urdu: Qarardad i Lahore, Bengali: Lahor Prostab) and later became better known as the ‘Pakistan Resolution’ (Qarardad i Pakistan).  Resolution passed at the annual session of the All India Muslim League at its 1940 meeting (22-24 March) at Minto Park (now called Iqbal Park) for the creation of ‘Independent State’ of Muslims in British India. The resolution was moved by Bengal Chief Minister Maulvi Fazal-ul-Haq, known as Sher-e-Bengal.

Cont… “No constitutional plan would be workable or acceptable to the Muslims unless it is designed on the following basic principles, namely, that the geographically contiguous units are demarcated into regions which should be so constituted, with such territorial readjustment may be necessary.  That the areas in which the Muslims are in majority as in the North-Western and Eastern zones of India should be grouped to constitute independent states in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign.

Cont… That adequate, effective and mandatory safeguards shall be specifically provided in the constitution for minorities for the protection of their religious, cultural, economic, political, administrative and other rights.” The resolution of unanimously accepted by the participant who had assembled at the meeting place in a large number. The resolution was seconded by a number of prominent Muslim leaders from all over the country.

Cont… Those who seconded the resolution were “Mulama Zafar Ali Khan and Dr. Muhammad Alam (Punjab), Begum Mulama Muhammad Ali Jauhar, Abdul Hamid Badayuni, Chaudri Khaliq-ur-Zman and Syed Zakir Ali (U.P.), Sir Abdullah Haroon (Sindh), Sardar Aurangzeb Khan (NWFP), Qazi Muhammad Issa (Balochistan), Nawab Muhammad Ismail (Bihar), Syed Abdur Rauf Shah (C.P.), Abdul Hamid Khan (Madras), and I.I. Chundrigar (Bombay)

Cont… Although the Resolution did not contain the word Pakistan, but the word Pakistan Resolution had gained wide popularity due to Chaudri Rehmat Ali. Chaudri Rehmat Ali coined the word PAKISTAN in which ‘P’ stand for Punjab ‘A’ for Afghan (Khyber Pakhtunkhawa) ‘K’ for Kashmir, ‘S’ for Sindh and ‘Tan’ for Balochistan. The word Pakistan itself means the Land of the Pure.

Pakistan Resolution in the Sindh Assembly The Sindh assembly was the first British Indian legislature to pass the resolution in favor of Pakistan. G. M. Syed, an influential Sindhi activist, revolutionary and Sufi and one of the important leaders to the forefront of the provincial autonomy movement joined the Muslim League in 1938 and presented the Pakistan resolution in the Sindh Assembly.  This text was buried under the Minar-e-Pakistan during its building in the Ayub regime.

Importance Of Pakistan Resolution The Pakistan Resolution is a landmark in the history of Muslim India as it eventually decide the future of the sub-continent. Muslims were convinced that their future as a nation was not secure in the united India and, therefore decided to demand a separate homeland. Muslims gathered under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-i-Azam who gave new meaning and shape for independence.

Cont… The Muslims were convinced that there was no other solution of the Indian problems except the creation of two separate and sovereign states of Hindustan and Pakistan. The acceptance of Pakistan Resolution strengthened the Two-nation theory which was the basis of Muslim struggle for independence. The demand for Pakistan was based on Muslim nationalism which meant the Muslim cultural, religious and national freedom.

Cont… The word and contents for the for the of the subcontinent was on theory that there were two major and distinct nations in the subcontinent. The passage of the Pakistan Resolution gave impetus to the freedom movement. The Pakistan Resolution was a demand for the protection and safeguard of the national identity of the Muslims.