60 Years of Pakistan: Guiding Light, Hope and Inspiration

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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On the occasion of Pakistan’s 60th Independence Day Celebrations, a slight effort to compile some of Quaid-e-Azam M. A. Jinnah and his Freedom & Independence Movement companions’ golden words of far sighted wisdom seems worthwhile.

** We may be able to gather some inspiration and hope, regain some confidence, and above all it may serve as a guiding light, which is most crucial during dusky hours.**

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Initially here are just a few words of multi-dimensional wisdom from just a few leaders of the Freedom Movement. We can keep adding words from many other leaders in more time, and all are requested to kindly take part.

** Do Please contribute any valuable golden inspiring words of our glorious leaders of the Pakistan Movement that you may know of and feel should be shared.**
** Please make sure they are encouraging and thought provoking, not disheartening or unnerving.**

** Long Live Pakistan!**

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  • “On no soul doth God place a burden greater than it can bear”*
    The Quran 2:286

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“God often tests and tries those whom he loves. He called upon Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice the object he loved most. Ibrahim answered the call and offered to sacrifice his son. Today too, God is testing and trying the Muslims of Pakistan and India. He has demanded great sacrifices from us.”
***From Quaid’s Eid-ul-Azha Message to the Nation, on 24th October, 1947

  • **“Dark clouds surround us on all sides for the moment but we are not daunted, for I am sure, if we show the same spirit of sacrifice as was shown by Ibrahim, God would rend the clouds and shower on us His blessing as He did on Ibrahim. Let us, therefore,…, resolve that we shall not be deterred from our objective of creating a State of our own concept by any amount of sacrifice, trials or tribulations which may lie ahead of us and that we shall bend all our energies and resources to achieve our goal. I am confident that in spite of its magnitude, we shall overcome this grave crisis as we have in our long history surmounted many others and notwithstanding the efforts of our enemies, we shall emerge triumphant and strong from the dark night of suffering and show the world that the State exists not for life but for good life.”
    ***From Quaid’s Eid-ul-Azha Message to the Nation, on 24th October, 1947

  • **“In the name of this mass of suffering humanity I renew my appeal to Muslims wherever they may be, to extend to us in this hour of our danger and need, their hand of brotherly sympathy, support and co-operation. Nothing on earth now can undo Pakistan. The greater the sacrifices are made the purer and more chastened shall we emerge like gold from fire.”
    **From Quaid’s Eid-ul-Azha Message to the Nation, on 24th October, 1947
    **

“So my message to you all is of hope, courage and confidence. Let us mobilize all our resources in a systematic and organized way and tackle the grave issues that confront us with grim determination and discipline worthy of a great nation.”**
From Quaid’s Eid-ul-Azha Message to the Nation, on 24th October, 1947

“…You will no doubt agree with me that the first duty of a government is to maintain law and order, so that the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected by the State…”
From the Quaid’s Presidential Address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan at Karachi, 11 August 1947

“…One of the biggest curses…is bribery and corruption. That really is a poison. We must put that down with an iron hand and I hope that you will take adequate measures as soon as it is possible.”
*From the Quaid’s Presidential Address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan at Karachi, 11 August 1947

“Alongwith many other things, good and bad, has arrived this great evil – the evil of nepotism and jobbery. This evil must be crushed relentlessly. I want to make it quite clear that I shall never tolerate any kind of jobbery, nepotism or any influence directly or indirectly brought to bear upon me. Whenever I will find that such a practice is in vogue or is continuing anywhere, low or high, I shall certainly not countenance it.”
*From the Quaid’s Presidential Address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan at Karachi 11 August 1947

***“Now, if we want to make this great State of Pakistan happy and prosperous we should wholly and solely concentrate on the well being of the people, and especially of the masses and the poor.”
From the Quaid’s Presidential Address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan at Karachi 11 August 1947

“If you will work in co-operation, forgetting the past, burying the hatchet, you are bound to succeed. If you change your past and work together in a spirit that everyone of you, no matter to what community he belongs, no matter what relations he had with you in the past, no matter what is his color, caste or creed, is first, second and last a citizen of this State with equal rights, privileges and obligations, there will be no end to the progress you will make…We should begin to work in that spirit and in course of time all these angularities of the majority and minority communities, the Hindu community and the Muslim community – because even as regards Muslims you have Pathans, Punjabis, Shias, Sunnis and so on and among the Hindus you have Brahmins, Vashnavas, Khatris, also Bengalees, Madrasis, and so on – will vanish. Indeed if you ask me this has been the biggest hindrance in the way of India to attain the freedom and independence and but for this we would have been free peoples long long ago. No power can hold another nation, and specially a nation of 400 million souls in subjection; nobody could have conquered you, and even if it had happened, nobody could have continued its hold on you for any length of time but for this. Therefore, we must learn a lesson from this.”
***From the Quaid’s Presidential Address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan at Karachi 11 August 1947

*** “You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of 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.”
***From the Quaid’s Presidential Address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan at Karachi 11 August 1947

*“Let us impress the minorities by word, deed and thought that as long as they fulfill their duties and obligations as loyal citizens of Pakistan, they have nothing to fear.
To the freedom loving tribes on our borders and the States beyond our borders, we send our greetings and assure that Pakistan will respect their status and will extend to them its most friendly co-operation in preserving peace. We have no ambition beyond the desire to live honorably and let others live honorably.”
*From Quaid’s Message to the Nation
On the occasion of the inauguration of the Pakistan Broadcasting Service.

“Let the Muslim congregations in their thousands, in all the mosques, bow in all humility before the Almighty and thank Him for His eternal kindness and generosity, seeking His guidance and assistance in the task of making Pakistan into a great State and themselves into its worthy citizens.”
*From Quaid’s Message to the Nation
On the occasion of the inauguration of the Pakistan Broadcasting Service.

*"Finally, let me tell you, fellow citizens, Pakistan is a land of great potential resources. But to build it up into a country worthy of the Muslim nation, we shall require every ounce of energy that we possess and I am confident that it will come from all whole-heartedly…Pakistan Zindabad!”
*From Quaid’s Message to the Nation
On the occasion of the inauguration of the Pakistan Broadcasting Service.

**“I have no doubt that with unity, faith and discipline we will compare with any nation of the world. You must make up your minds now. We must sink individualism and petty jealousies and make up our minds to serve the people with honesty and faithfulness. We are passing through a period of fear, danger, and menace. We must have faith, unity and discipline."
***Quaid-e-Azam, 28 December 1947

  • “I want the Muslims to be rid of the disease of provincialism. A nation can never make progress unless it marches in one formation. We are all Pakistanis and citizens of the State and we should serve, sacrifice, and die for the State so that we may make it the most glorious and sovereign State in the world.”
    *Quaid-e-Azam, 25 January 1948

"The foundations of your*** State have been laid and it is now for you to build and build as quickly and as well as you can*".**
Quid-e-Azam, 14 August 1948

“If I do not obey the law, how should I expect others to do so?”
*Quaid to his ADC Captain Gul Hasan on the importance of his abiding by traffic laws while waiting at a signal.
‘Memoirs’, by Lt Gen Gul Hasan Khan OUP

**“Search your hearts and see whether you have done your part in the construction of the new and mighty state. It is now upto you to work work and work: and we are bound to succeed. And never forget our motto: Faith, Unity and Discipline.”
**Quaid-e-Azam M A Jinnah

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“The future of our state will and most greatly depend upon the type of education and the way in which we bring up our children as the future citizens of Pakistan.”**
Quaid-e-Azam’s message to educationists.

“Yet this is a truth people so easily seem to forget and begin to prize local, sectional or provincial interests above and regardless of the national interests. It naturally pains me to find the curse of provincialism holding sway over any section of Pakistan. Pakistan must be rid of this evil.”
*Quaid-e-Azam’s *reply to the Civic Address presented by the Quetta Municipality on 15th June, 1948.

“We are now all Pakistanis–not Baluchis, Pathans, Sindhis, Bengalis, Punjabis and so on–and as Pakistanis we must feet behave and act, and we should be proud to be known as Pakistanis and nothing else.”
*Quaid-e-Azam’s *reply to the Civic Address presented by the Quetta Municipality on 15th June, 1948.

“We should have a State in which we could live and breathe as free men and which we could develop according to our own lights and culture and where principles of Islamic social justice could find free play.”
*Quaid-e-Azam’s *address to Civil, Naval, Military and Air Force Officers of Pakistan Government, Karachi 11 October, 1947

“I have always maintained that no nation can ever be worthy of its existence that cannot take its women along with the men. No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men. There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a great competition and rivalry between the two. There is a third power stronger than both, that of the women.”
*Quaid-e-Azam’s *speech at Islamia College for women 25 March, 1940

“I particularly appeal to our intelligentsia and students to come forward and rise to the occasion. You have performed wonders in the past. You are still capable of repeating the history. You are not lacking in the great qualities and virtues in comparison with the other nations. Only you have to be fully conscious of that fact and to act with courage, faith and unity.”
Quaid’s Message to Pakistan Resolution Day, issued from Delhi 23 March, 1943

“Our object should be peace within, and peace without. We want to live peacefully and maintain cordial friendly relations with our immediate neighbours and with the world at large.”
Quaid’s Speech at Lahore, 15 August, 1947

**
"You have to stand guard over the development and maintenance of democracy, social justice and the equality of manhood in your own native soil.** With faith, discipline and selfless devotion to duty, there is nothing worthwhile that you cannot achieve."
*Quaid’s Address to the officers and men of the 5th Heavy Ack Ack and 6th Light Ack Ack Regiments in Malir, Karachi 21 February, 1948

*“You owe it to the great State to which you belong, to the people whom you serve and, indeed, to yourself not to be daunted by any difficulties, but to press on and go forward and maintain sustained efforts with single-minded devotion.
Pakistan has a great future ahead of it. It is now for us to take the fullest advantage of what nature has so abundantly provided us with and builds up a glorious and mighty State. Pakistan Zindabad.”
Quaid’s Broadcast Speech from Radio Pakistan, Dhaka on 28th March, 1948

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“National progress is the sum total of the individual’s labour, honor, honesty and sympathy. Similarly, national downfall is the cumulative result of the individual’s laziness, dishonour, dishonesty, selfishness and other weaknesses of character.”**

  • Sir Syed Ahmed Khan*

“Philosophy will be in our right hand and Natural Science in our left: and the crown of ‘there is no God but Allah’ will adorn our head.”

  • Sir Syed Ahmed Khan*

** “It is the first and foremost duty of all the well-wisher of the country to strive for the welfare of all people irrespective of any consideration of caste or religion.
It is the categorical verdict of all the nations and great seers of the world that national progress depends on education and training (of the people).”
*** Sir Syed Ahmed Khan*

** “My advice to all of you is: Do only that which you believe (to be right) and do not do anything in (the rightness of) which you do not believe. This is real truthfulness and this is the only thing on which depends success in both the worlds.”**

  • Sir Syed Ahmed Khan*

** “How good is the saying , whoever may be its author , that a human being in composed of two elements – his faith which he owes to God and his moral sympathy which he owes to his fellow – beings Hence leave God’s share to God and concern yourself with the share that is yours.”**

  • Sir Syed Ahmed Khan*

** “Ignorance is the mother of poverty.”**

  • Sir Syed Ahmed Khan*

** “Nothing is more disgraceful for any nation than to throw into the oblivion its historical heritage and the works of its ancestors.”**

  • Sir Syed Ahmed Khan*

** “When a nation becomes devoid of arts and learning, it invites poverty. And when poverty comes it brings in its wake thousands of crimes.
A man should be upright, righteous and honest even while opposing his opponent.”**

  • Sir Syed Ahmed Khan*

** “We believe that the righteous and pious people, to whatever religion or community they might belong, deserve our respect in the same way as the righteous people of our own religion.”**

  • Sir Syed Ahmed Khan*
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“The problem before you is the realisation of the ideals and objectives for which Pakistan was brought into being and to win back those basic rights and liberties which belong to you as citizens of a free State.”**
Madar-i-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah 23 March 1964

** “The movement of Pakistan which the Quaid-i-Azam launched was ethical in inspiration and ideological in content. The story of this movement is a story of the ideals of equality, fraternity and social and economic justice struggling against the forces of domination, exploitation, intolerance and tyranny”.**
*Madar-i-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah’s Message to the Nation on 26 December 1963

“Let us sink all our differences and stand united together under the same banner under which we truly achieved Pakistan and let us demonstrate once again that we can, united, face all dangers in the cause of glory of Pakistan, the glory that the Quaid-i-Azam envisaged for Pakistan.”
*Madar-i-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah’s Message to the Nation in 1965

** “The immediate task before you is to face the problem and bring the country back on the right path with the bugles of Quaid-i-Azam’s message. March forward under the banner of star and the crescent with unity in your ranks, faith in your mission and discipline. Fulfill your mission and a great sublime future awaits your enthusiasm and action. Remember: ‘cowards die many times before death; the valiant never taste death but once.’ This is the only course of action which suits any self-respecting people and certainly the Muslim Nation.”**
*Madar-i-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah’s Message to the Nation on Eid-ul-Adha 1967

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**“Islam does not recognize either priesthood or any sacerdotal authority, and, therefore, the question of a theocracy simply does not arise in Islam. If there are any who still use the word theocracy in the same breath as the policy of Pakistan they are either labouring under a grave misapprehension, or indulging in mischievous propaganda.” **
*Nawabzada Khan Liaquat Ali Khan

“We want to build up a truly liberal government where the greatest amount of freedom will be given to all its members. Everyone will be equal before the law, but this does not mean that his personal law will not be protected. We believe in the equality of status and justice. At present our masses are poor and illiterate. We must raise their standards of life, and free them from the shackles of poverty and ignorance.”

“Muslims! Decisions made under pressure do not last for long. To-day we are not in need of a tree that blooms like a flower or in need of fruit that tastes sweet to our mouths. Instead, we are in the need of fine manure that dissolves in the soil and strengthens the roots. That will unite with the water and soil to produce beautiful flowers. That will destroy itself but will leave its scent and taste in the flowers. We are at present not in need of beautiful scenery that looks good to the eyes, but what we need are foundation stones that will bury themselves in the soil to make the building standing on them strong.”
*Nawab Bahadur Yar Jung 26 December 1943 at the All India Muslim League Conference
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References:
*Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Speeches and Statements as Governor General of Pakistan 1947 - 48. *Published (1989) by Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Directorate of Films & Publications, Islamabad
www.quaid.gov.pk
www.Pakistan.gov.pk
www.majinnah.com.pk
www.wikipedia.com
www.amu.ac.in
www.mofa.gov.pk

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**Some older threads celebrating National Days, for reading purpose only: **

**Azadi Mubarak 14 August 2006

Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah

Independence Celebration – Reflections

23rd March: A Resolution and the Minaret

23 March 2006

**Kindly make sure all comments are posted in this or other current Independence Day celebratory threads. Do not revive the older threads.

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From above, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan's words:
*"National progresses the sum total of the individual’s labour, honor, honesty and sympathy. Similarly, national downfall is the cumulative result of the individual’s laziness, dishonour, dishonesty, selfishness and other weaknesses of character."
*

So true, we continue to blame the system, government, corruption in government and what not but we forget our own "contribution" to all these issues.

Mods, please create/move 'replies' to separate threads if you so wish.

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Excellent thread - very factual and enjoyable to read. :k:

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Re: 60 Years of Pakistan: Guiding Light, Hope and Inspiration

Thanks Reza! :)

Captain, you're very right!

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BBC Radio 4’s show on Jinnah can be listened to here

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Re: 60 Years of Pakistan: Guiding Light, Hope and Inspiration

Very nice Haris Zuberi.

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“August the 14th remains for me always a day of great national significance symbolising, as it does, the high ideals with which Pakistan, as a reality, came into being, and I feel we should use it primarily as a yearly evaluation of the extent to which we have and have not been able to make its ideals a growing reality.”**
*Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan at the Press Club of Karachi, on the occasion of Independence Day celebrations on 12 August 1969.
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“We have slowly but surely lost sight of too many of the basic qualities and moral values, of honesty, unity, loyalty, selfand high endeavour in the common good, so that today we are faced with a grave national crisis, to which we have all, in one way or another, contributed by smug apathy, selfishness, greed, dishonesty, cowardice, overweening flattery and a host of other moral weaknesses, which do none of us any credit and give none of us the right to escape blame by putting all its burden upon others. A people get the leaders they deserve, and the sooner we realise this, the better for us.”
*Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan at the Press Club of Karachi, on the occasion of Independence Day celebrations on 12 August 1969.
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“Both Christianity and Islam have been betrayed by their own followers, for the fault lies not in the principles of either but in the malpractices of both.”
*Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan **addressing the Young Men’s Christian Association in 1954

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Rare footage of the independence ceremony.

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Wow!
:k:
Thanks Flame.

Wouldve been even more mesmerizing with sound.

What does Islam say?