Quaid’s love for Islamia College remembered

Jinnah visited the institution in 1939, 1945 as leader of Muslim League and in 1948 as the Governor General Pakistan

PESHAWAR: Father of the nation Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had special fondness for the historic Islamia College Peshawar (ICP) due to the role of its students in completing his mission for the creation of Pakistan.

With only two days left for the 142nd birthday of Quaid-i-Azam, a number of political, social and cultural organisations have chalked out special programmes to celebrate the day in most befitting manner.

Great enthusiasm is being witnessed especially among students and youth who were found busy in purchasing national flags, stickers and banners with photographs of Jinnah and other national heroes of the Pakistan Movement.

The special attraction the youth of K-P show to Quaid is due to a reciprocal affection he had showed to their elders in 1930s and ‘40s.

The Quaid had a special love for ICP and came here on a number of occasions and interacted with students.

He considered students of ICP and people of K-P and Fata as a frontline force in his constitutional and peaceful struggle for independence of Pakistan.

He visited ICP in 1936, 1945 and 1948, and was greatly impressed by the devotion of its faculty and staff and students besides the building’s domes, lush-green lawns, and majestic edifice of its beautiful architecture. He was impressed by the outstanding role of its students during the Pakistan Movement.

In his last visit to the ICP as Governor General of Pakistan on April 12, 1948, he presented glowing tributes to the services of ICP students towards making of Pakistan in these words.  “I am indeed very happy to be present here today and to have the privilege of addressing the students of this great Darul Uloom, who are the future builders of Pakistan.”

In fact, he reminded the students that: “Now we have achieved the national goal of Pakistan and it is our collective responsibility to work hard in our respective professions with high-level of dedication, commitment and sincerity to make it one of the greatest states of the world.”

Jinnah advised students to develop a sound sense of discipline, character, initiative and a solid academic background and devote wholeheartedly towards studies. “Now we have our own government, therefore, we must be constructive in criticism and students can make a big contribution towards promotion of harmony, unity and development of Pakistan.”

His earliest message to the young nation builders was the ownership of the government.

Quaid e Azam told the ICP students: “Remember your government is like your own garden. Your garden flourishes by the way you look after it and the efforts that you put towards its improvement. Similarly, your government can only flourish by your patriotic, honest and constructive efforts to improve it.”

On students’ demands, he said establishment of a quality university in Peshawar was very nearer to his heart, which would be great centre of culture and learning from where the rays of knowledge and culture can spread throughout the Middle East and Central Asia and soon people of this province would get a university here.

Following a gap of one year, the Government of Pakistan, had established the University of Peshawar near Islamia College Peshawar in 1949.

ICP University Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Naushad Khan said that Quaid-i-Azam had a special love for ICP. He chose to become an honorary member of the Khyber Union, a debating society of the college, in 1936. “Mr Jinnah’s love for ICP could be judged from his will written on May 30, 1939 in Bombay in which he had declared ICP, Muslim University Aligarh and Sindh Madrassatul Islam, Karachi, as among the inheritors of his property,” Prof Naushad said.

The Quaid Trust later paid Rs10.81 million in different instalments to the college. The amount was spent on the establishment of Quaid-i-Azam College of Commerce, University of Peshawar, construction of Jinnah residential quarters for the college employees, Jinnah College for Women and the newly-constructed Takbeer block.

When Quaid came to Peshawar

Prof Naushad narrating a page from history reminded that Quaid-e-Azam received a rousing welcome when he came to ICP in 1945.

The students and Muslim Students Federation ICP presented him Rs8,000 as fund for the Pakistan Movement and assured him to present 8,000 committed educated workers for accomplishment of his mission when he came again to ICP. The great Quaid highly regarded the devotion of the youth of Peshawar.

The arrival of the man committed to the cause of a separate homeland for Muslims had moved the people of K-P (then known as NWFP). They had decorated their homes, bazaars, and towns with Muslim League flags inscribed with different slogans of Pakistan and Quaid e Azam Zindabad to welcome their beloved leader.

It was the love of people of K-P with Quaid Azam that Muslim League had won more than 50 seats in this province and after that nobody could stop independence movement of Pakistan from here, Dr Naushad recalled.

Mr Jinnah was a great symbol of independence and democracy who strongly believed in power of the masses, the rule of law, equality and supremacy of constitution and that was the major reasons that he had created Pakistan after a short time of seven years following adaptation of historic Pakistan Resolution at Lahore on March 23, 1940, Naushad said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2017.