Under the booming sun of March and the soothing breeze of spring, I was on my way to the office via the Islamabad expressway. The clock struck 10 a.m. The sun was beautiful but the earth was full of chaos. My right foot was glued to the brake to avoid collision with a Suzuki Wagon R next to my car due to a road blockage for the VIP protocol. Motorbikes were roaring from both sides, right and left of my car. Political banners of different political parties were tied with the road lights of the green belt. As I crossed the Faizabad interchange, preparations were in full swing for the commemoration of Pakistan day. I turned on the radio to lessen the striking boredom. As expected, the newscaster was commenting on the ongoing political turmoil followed by the disabled economy of Pakistan. This struck questions in my mind about whether we understand or not the true spirit of the Lahore Resolution that was passed on the 23rd of March 1940. Have we truly tried to win the resolve and fulfill the promises of the Lahore Resolution? Are we serious about the promises made in the memoirs of our nation? What does the Lahore Resolution demand from the present-day Pakistan? These are some of the important inquiries upon which the article hinges.
Unfortunately, our education is good in helping our students cram the Lahore Resolution’s date and a few of its important tenets. However, the majority of our citizens do not bother to extract any useful ideas, understand the true spirit of the document, and realise the hidden meanings of it which can help the nation prosper if applied in true spirit. Otherwise, such important memoirs like Lahore Resolution will only be restricted to the celebration and a day off from work.
The Lahore Resolution was presented on March 23, 1940, by the Chief Minister of Bengal, Maulvi A K Fazlul Haq. Even though it consists of a few paragraphs, it gives a complete direction and a road map for a new nation to be honest, prosperous, and peaceful. These notions are stupendously stated in the resolution that “adequate, effective and mandatory safeguards shall be specifically provided in the constitution for minorities in the units and the regions for the protection of their religious, cultural, economic, political, administrative and other rights, with their consultation. Arrangements thus should be made for the security of Muslims where they were in a minority”. To put it differently, the Lahore Resolution loudly nullified the idea of majoritarianism and stressed the primacy of constitutionalism, protection of human rights, and acceptance of different identities.
Jinnah intelligently supplemented the spirit of the Lahore Resolution by stating: “We wish our people to develop to the fullest spiritual, cultural, economic, social and political life in a way that we think best and in consonance with our own ideals and according to the genius of our people”. (March 22, 1940) However, the past and present of our state are totally at odds with what was envisioned in the Lahore Resolution.
The social fabric sewed within the Lahore Resolution advocates a just society based on equality, peace, and acceptance of other identities, protection of human rights, and a greater sense of community development in citizens. However, the situation is otherwise in present-day Pakistan. Sectarianism and extremism have spread their tentacles in the social fabric of the state. The recent brutal attack on a mosque in Peshawar, and the spate of lynching incidents i.e. Sialkot Tragedy and Khanewal brutality reflect the deviation of the society from the spirit of Lahore Resolution and a movement towards the anarchic environment.
In addition to sectarianism and extremism, the gender disparities are deepening. The patriarchal society gives very little space to women. Women are considered unequal and restricted to specific domains, hence, free only in shackles. In Global Gender Gap Report 2021’ published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), Pakistan was ranked 153rd out of 156 countries on the gender parity index. Sadly, it is totally in contradiction with Jinnah’s resolve of empowering women. Jinnah in his presidential address to the Muslim League Lahore in 1940 emphatically supported women's empowerment by stating that “It is of very great importance to us because I believe that it is essential for us to give every opportunity to our women to participate in our struggle of life and death. Women can do a great deal within their homes, even with purdah. We appointed this committee intending to enable them to participate in the work of the League. I do not doubt that when we come to deal with their report of work done we shall feel grateful to them for all the services that they have rendered to the Muslim League.” However, in the present day Pakistan, women are not supported in real spirit to engage in societal activities with the same freedom enjoyed by men. Furthermore, national unity and strength which was envisioned in the Lahore Resolution are also missing in present day Pakistan, where intolerance, violence, and tribal strife have become a new normal.
The disabled economy is fading the essence of Pakistan Day. The trade deficit, devaluation of the rupee, increasing imports, falling revenues, and forex resources has been throttling the economic life of our state. One of the reasons for the fragile state of our economy is not extracting the economic roadmap from the Lahore Resolution. The Lahore Resolution and Jinnah's address ad infinitum demanded the protection of economic rights of a group and an individual. Demand for the economic rights stressed the fulfilment of basic needs like sustenance, a living wage, job opportunities, access to the market, and decent working conditions. However, these rights can only be enjoyed by the elites. Workforce and labourers have no voice in the economic sphere. Their voices are always silenced by the powerful. Similarly, unemployment is increasing day by day. The huge bulk of undergraduate students are out of the job market, hence creating an inactive youth bulge. The culture of tax evasion in Pakistan provides room for elites to monopolise the markets and subjugate the working class, thus increasing class inequality. An unequal society can never be free in the true sense of meaning.
The lack of economic agency and poverty strengthens hegemonic culture and neoliberal rationality that violate the political rights of a group and an individual. The Lahore Resolution vehemently demanded the political rights of a minority group – who at that time consisted of Muslims – emphasised their equal representation in the political decision-making process and their right to vote. It also rejected majoritarianism and stressed the strong constitution which can ensure equity. It demanded a federalist and pluralist setup by providing maximum provincial autonomy. However, these promises have not been turned into reality. Today’s political landscape is volatile and dirty. Dynastic politics, polarisation, and nepotism produced demagogues, populist and egoistic politicians, having a myopic view. These politicians have prioritised their personal and commercial interests over national interests. The constitution is just limited to written words. The accountability of legislatures and state institutions has become a daydream for the citizens. Middle-class men cannot even dream of contesting the election and winning the seat of legislative assemblies. The intent to fulfil the political promise of Pakistan Day is nowhere on the horizon.
However, hopelessness is not a remedy. Quaid-i-Azam in his presidential address to the Muslim League in Lahore in 1940 said that “we cannot be moved or diverted from our purpose and objective by threats or intimidations. We must be prepared to face all difficulties and consequences, make all the sacrifices that may be required to achieve the goal we have set in front of us.” The challenges are there but the need of the hour is to revisit the course of history, brace the spirit of our memoirs, and revitalise the social, economic, and political promise of Pakistan Day. Let us together build a road to tomorrow!
-The writer is a freelance contributor. He can be accessed at [email protected]
