By Brig Syed Karrar Hussain (Retired)
Every nation has certain dates that are more than mere entries on a calendar. They are milestones of collective memory, symbols of sacrifice and reminders of the struggles through which a nation came into existence. For Pakistan, 11 September is one such day. It is the death anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan and the leader who transformed the political aspirations of the Muslims of the subcontinent into the reality of an independent state.
Yet, this year, 11 September passed almost silently.
The relative absence of large-scale official programmes, meaningful public activities and visible national engagement on the death anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam should make us pause and reflect. This is not merely a question of how a national day is observed. It is a question of whether we are gradually losing our connection with the historical consciousness that gave birth to Pakistan.
For decades, 11 September was not simply a public holiday. It provided an opportunity to remember the Quaid, revisit the circumstances that led to the creation of Pakistan and educate the younger generation about the political, social and constitutional struggle of the Muslims of British India. Schools, colleges, universities, government institutions, the armed forces, media organisations and civil society used to arrange programmes, seminars, debates, speeches and exhibitions to remind the nation of Quaid-e-Azam’s vision and leadership.
Unfortunately, such activities appear to have diminished considerably.
Why Did Quaid-e-Azam Demand Pakistan?
This question must remain alive, particularly among our youth.
Pakistan did not emerge suddenly or accidentally. Its creation was the culmination of a long political struggle. The Muslims of the subcontinent increasingly felt that they constituted a distinct historical, cultural, religious and political community whose interests required constitutional protection and political safeguards.
The Two-Nation Theory was the intellectual and political foundation of the demand for Pakistan. It asserted that the Muslims and Hindus of the subcontinent represented distinct nations, with different religious traditions, social values, historical experiences and cultural identities. Quaid-e-Azam eventually concluded that a constitutional arrangement within a united India could not adequately safeguard Muslim political rights and aspirations.
The demand for Pakistan therefore emerged from a particular historical context. It cannot be properly understood through slogans alone. It must be studied through the political developments of the period, including the constitutional reforms, the Nehru Report, the Fourteen Points of Quaid-e-Azam, the Round Table Conferences, the Allahabad Address of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the Lahore Resolution of 1940 and the negotiations that ultimately culminated in independence in 1947.
Our young generation deserves to know this history.
If we stop teaching the reasons behind the creation of Pakistan, we should not be surprised when future generations begin to regard the country merely as a geographical entity rather than the outcome of a historic national struggle.
Quaid-e-Azam and His Team
The creation of Pakistan was not the achievement of one individual alone, although Quaid-e-Azam’s leadership was unquestionably decisive.
He was supported by a remarkable team of political leaders, scholars, lawyers, workers and ordinary Muslims who devoted their lives to the Pakistan Movement. Leaders such as Liaquat Ali Khan, Allama Iqbal, Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman, Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar, A.K. Fazlul Huq, Nawab Ismail Khan, Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz and countless others contributed to the movement in different ways.
More importantly, millions of ordinary Muslims supported the demand for Pakistan. Men, women, students, workers, farmers, traders and professionals participated in the political struggle. Muslim women played a particularly important role in mobilising public opinion and supporting the Muslim League.
The story of Pakistan is therefore a story of leadership combined with collective determination.
The sacrifices associated with Partition must also be remembered. Millions of people were uprooted from their ancestral homes. Families were separated, property was abandoned and countless lives were lost. The refugees who reached Pakistan brought with them not only their belongings but also memories of suffering, sacrifice and hope.
That history deserves to be preserved.
Is Silence Becoming Our Policy?
The question that needs to be asked is simple: why was there no major, nationally visible government programme this year to commemorate the death anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam?
A national day does not necessarily require expensive ceremonies. What it requires is meaningful national engagement.
If government institutions can organise elaborate programmes for various occasions, there should certainly be a structured programme on the death anniversary of the founder of the country. The objective should not be ceremonial protocol alone. It should be education.
The apparent decline in activities surrounding 11 September raises an uncomfortable question: are we, consciously or unconsciously, allowing the Two-Nation Theory and the historical circumstances behind the creation of Pakistan to disappear from public discourse?
If so, this would be a serious mistake.
History should neither be manipulated nor forgotten. It should be studied honestly, objectively and comprehensively. Nations that forget the circumstances of their birth often lose sight of the principles required for their survival.
The Youth Must Be Brought Back to History
The greatest responsibility lies with our educational institutions.
Every school and university should hold a special programme around 11 September. Students should be encouraged to participate in debates, essay competitions, documentary presentations, historical exhibitions and research projects.
Instead of merely asking students to memorise dates and speeches, we should encourage them to answer deeper questions:
Why did Muslims demand a separate homeland?
What political problems confronted Muslims in pre-Partition India?
What role did Quaid-e-Azam play?
What sacrifices were made by ordinary people?
What did the Quaid envision for the citizens of Pakistan?
And, most importantly, how can we build the Pakistan that he wanted?
These questions can transform history from a dry subject into a source of national purpose.
Recommendations for the Future
First, the government should establish a National Quaid Day Programme every year from 1 to 11 September, culminating in a comprehensive national commemoration on 11 September.
Second, Parliament, provincial assemblies, universities and educational institutions should hold meaningful debates on Quaid-e-Azam’s constitutional, democratic and political philosophy.
Third, national television and radio should broadcast documentaries and historical programmes explaining the Pakistan Movement and the circumstances surrounding the creation of Pakistan.
Fourth, the Ministry of Education should introduce annual essay, speech and research competitions on Quaid-e-Azam and the Pakistan Movement, with participation from schools and universities across the country.
Fifth, museums and public institutions should organise exhibitions displaying rare photographs, documents, letters, newspapers and historical material relating to the Pakistan Movement.
Sixth, the private sector, media houses and civil society should also be encouraged to participate. The responsibility for national history cannot rest with the government alone.
Finally, 11 September should not be treated merely as a holiday. In fact, consideration should be given to transforming the day into a National Day of Reflection and Historical Awareness, where the country collectively remembers its founder and examines how faithfully we have followed his principles.
The Quaid’s Pakistan
Quaid-e-Azam left this world on 11 September 1948, barely thirteen months after Pakistan came into existence. His physical journey ended, but the responsibility he left behind remains with us.
His famous principles—Unity, Faith and Discipline—are not merely words for display on official buildings. They are a national prescription.
Today Pakistan faces political divisions, economic challenges, social tensions, institutional weaknesses and a growing disconnect between young people and their history. In such circumstances, remembering the Quaid is more important than ever.
We should not remember him merely by placing wreaths at his mausoleum. We must remember him by understanding why he struggled for Pakistan and by striving to build a country based on justice, constitutionalism, equality, tolerance, merit and national unity.
11 September should therefore never pass silently again.
Let us make it a day when Pakistan stops for a moment and asks itself: Why was Pakistan created, what sacrifices brought it into existence, what did Quaid-e-Azam envision, and how close are we to fulfilling that vision?
A nation that remembers its history gains strength from its past.
A nation that forgets its history risks losing its direction.
The Quaid gave us Pakistan. The responsibility to preserve its identity, strengthen its institutions and transmit its history to future generations now rests with us.
11 September should not merely mark the death of the Quaid-e-Azam. It should renew our commitment to the Pakistan for which he devoted his life.
