Editor-in-Chief Akram Shaheedi said Jinnah’s adherence to the motto of Unity, Faith and Discipline brought us Pakistan and the same level of commitment will ensure the preservation of independence.
The new volume released by Quaid-i-Azam Papers Wing bears testimony to the relevance of Jinnah’s thoughts in both pre- and post-partition periods, and deviation from Jinnah’s vision has led us to a chaotic situation, which we are desperately grappling to get out of, he said.
Shaheedi said Jinnah’s ideals are a ‘guiding light’ for the nation at this critical phase in history when Pakistan is fighting against terrorism, extremism, ethnic conflicts and sectarianism.
He referred to Jinnah’s speech on August 11, 1947 when, addressing Pakistan’s first constituent assembly, the Quaid elaborated his vision of the new state of Pakistan as a democratic, progressive welfare state where all citizens would enjoy equal rights, regardless of their gender and creed.
Pakistan came into being despite stubborn opposition from the British and the Congress, which did not want India to be divided, Shaheedi said. But he lamented the role of politicians and other anti-democratic forces which came into play after the assassination of Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan, and blamed them for the country’s current predicament.
The Quaid-i-Azam Papers Wing plans to publish more than 20 volumes to cover the entire corpus of Jinnah’s documents.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2010.
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