Jinnah | Pakistan

THE Quaid categorically declared that no power on earth can undo Pakistan. QUAID-I-AZAM Mohammad Ali Jinnah, a charismatic statesman, laid the foundation for a modern democratic state, Pakistan, to safeguard the fundamental rights of Muslims who were a minority in pre-Partition India. Pakistan was born as a secular democratic state, but its welfare and prosperity will always depend upon the restoration of Jinnah’s democratic legacy. Despite cultural, religious, or ethnic distinctions, Jinnah steadfastly believed that each Pakistani is an equal citizen; justice, honesty, and impartiality are the guiding principles that protect the right to life, property, and religious beliefs. Hence, for Jinnah, democracy ensures justice for all. Pakistan’s great founder wanted neither a theocratic state nor a feudal one. For Jinnah, democracy was a matter of conviction. ‘Democracy’ means people-centred decision-making, which enables individuals not only to elect their representatives but also to devise public policies, enact...

Quaid-i-Azam at his favourite residence on Mount Pleasant Road in Bombay. IN the current phase of our beautiful, beleaguered country’s history, institutional deviation and constitutional deformities have reached abysmal lows. This special report is being published on the birthday of an individual who had unshakable respect for institutional integrity and individual accountability in life, not immunity for life. The invitation to write encouraged one to consider anecdotal aspects to portray the Quaid’s life from inception to conclusion through fleeting glimpses, snatches of scenes, bits and pieces, which juxtaposed together, evoke his unlikely beginnings, unique persona, values and respect for institutions. So much is already widely known about the pivotal role of M.A. Jinnah, especially between 1935 and 1948. One therefore decided to select relatively less known aspects. Herein are segments from the Quaid’s early years and then, with a deliberate leap over the next 40 years or so, random clips from the last 1...