As a visionary leader, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had special affiliation and attachment with the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir. This great leader of the 20th century regarded Jammu and Kashmir as an essential part for the security of Pakistan; “Kashmir is the jugular vein of Pakistan and no nation or country would tolerate its Jugular vein remains under the sword of the enemy”. Today, once India is consolidating its occupation over the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) after revoking its special status in August 2019, the vision of the Quaid can be understood in its real perspective. From the historical records, it is revealed that Quaid-i-Azam visited Kashmir four times.
The first visit of the Quaid was in 1926; it was a private visit to spend a few holidays in Kashmir; indeed a probe-in visit to have first-hand knowledge about the state, its inhabitants, their socio-economic conditions and the cruel Dogra Rule, imposed over the State. At that time there was no political awakening in the State, nor could Kashmiris form a political forum. Under the cruel and inhuman Dogra Rule, the people of the state were deprived of their basic human rights. The Quaid uneasily watched this situation and later got a special resolution passed in the All India Muslim League Working Committee session held in Lahore in 1926. The unanimously passed resolution drew the attention of the Maharajah’s Government towards the educational and economic backwardness of the Muslims of Kashmir and requested him to improve the living standard of the Kashmiris.
The second visit of the Quaid to Kashmir was in 1929. During this visit, he met with some local leadership of the state to know further details about the living conditions of the masses. Nevertheless, both visits of Quaid were low profile, aimed to comprehend and foresee the ground realities in the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir. Despite Dogra repression, the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir were able to establish their first political forum in the form of All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference by 1932. This political forum of Kashmiris was primarily aimed at attaining the political and social rights of Kashmiris from oppressive Dogra Rule. It was the first step towards the right of self-determination of the people of Kashmir from Dogra Rule.
The third visit of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah to Kashmir was a formal visit as a leader of Indian Muslims. Quaid visited the heavenly State in 1936 where he was given a landmark reception by the Kashmiri leadership of Muslim Conference under Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah and Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas. During this visit Quaid told Kashmiris: “Oh yes Muslim! Our Allah is one, our Prophet is one, our Quran is one, and therefore our Voice must also be one”. Later the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference was renamed as All Jammu and Kashmir National Conference by Sheikh Abdullah in 1939, causing split among the Kashmiri leadership. Later, Muslim Conference re-emerged in 1941 with a clear departure from the policies of National Conference and Sheikh Abdullah. Division among the Kashmiri leadership was a tragic development in the history of Kashmir. In its later history, the National Conference acted as an unofficial offshoot of the Indian National Congress, providing an excuse to India for its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir in October 1947.
In 1944, Quaid-i-Azam visited Jammu and Kashmir for the fourth time. He stayed in various parts of the state for over a month during this visit. He made this visit on the joint invitation of Muslim Conference and the National Conference and addressed Kashmiris under two parties separately. He met with the leadership of both political parties of Kashmir and attended functions, meeting with workers, students, lawyers, common people and journalists. His stay in Kashmir being the last but the most important had a great impact on the future politics of Kashmir. Quaid’s love for the people of Kashmir can be imagined from the fact that, during his visit to Kashmir in 1944; he picked up a newly graduated Kashmiri youth, K H Khurshid as his personal secretary.
KH Khursid remained as the personnel secretary of the Quaid from 1944 to 1947. KH Khurshid later acted as a special representative of Quaid on Kashmir and visited the state after it was illegally occupied by India. Upon illegal invasion of Indian forces in Kashmir on 27 October 1947, Quaid-i-Azam issued orders to the Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army to dispatch troops to Jammu and Srinagar. Unfortunately, the British Commander in Chief of Pakistan did not implement the orders of the Governor General. Earlier, smelling a rat, Quaid-i-Azam tried his best to create circumstances which could stop Indian annexation of Kashmir. Unfortunately, after the death of Quaid-i-Azam, no meaningful efforts could be made to regain Kashmir from the illegal Indian occupation.
In August 2019, India acted unilaterally and illegally by revoking the special status of IIOJK and annexing it with India as union territories in complete disregard to UN resolutions and international law. Besides, India is undertaking major demographic changes in entire IIOJK while simultaneously undertaking massive human rights violations which include; killings, fake encounters, detention, torture and illegal arrests of innocent Kashmiris with total immunity.
Since then India is constantly making demographic changes in IIOJK along with massive human rights violations. This was a blatant violation of Quaid’s vision for Jammu and Kashmir and popular sentiments of the people of Pakistan. The incumbent Government must approach the UN and all other international organizations for the restoration of special status and subsequent resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.(drmkedu@gmail.com)
