Jinnah owned a versatile personality as he was a revolutionist, charismatic leader, lawyer and a politician.
The Quaid is the true example of sincere determination. He devoted his whole life for the independence of Muslims living in British India. Mohammad Ali Jinnah had been suffering from tuberculosis since the 1930s.This was a well-guarded secret and only his doctor sister Miss Fatima Jinnah and few close aides were aware of his condition. Jinnah believed that public knowledge of his ailments would create negative impact on his aim of a separate homeland for the Muslims of India.
He was working 20 hours a day for decades, along with hectic travel and heavy smoking, had affected his health.
In “My Brother”, Quaid’s biography authored by Miss Fatima Jinnah, she admits: “Even in the hour of triumph (Pakistan’s birth), the Quaid was gravely ill. He worked in a frenzy to consolidate Pakistan and totally neglected his health.” Such was the dedication and commitment of this great leader.
Jinnah’s vision for Pakistan:
“Nature has given you everything. You have got unlimited resources. The foundation of your state have been lain and its now for you to build, and build as quickly as well as you can, so go ahead and I wish you God speed.”
Compliments to Qauid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah from some of the prominent personalities of his era are as follows,
Lord Wavell, Viceroy of India (1943 – 1947)
“Mr. Jinnah was one of the handsomest men I have ever seen; he combined the clear cut, almost Grecian features of the West with oriental grace and movement.”
Stanley Wolpert, an American academic, Indologist, and author,
“Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Mohammad Ali Jinnah did all three.”
Lord Pethick Lawerence, a British Labour politician,
“Gandhi died by the hands of an assassin; Jinnah died by his devotion to Pakistan.”
People of Pakistan revered Mohammad Ali Jinnah as Baba-e-Qaum (Father of Nation), as without his admiration, dedication and leadership creation of Pakistan was simply impossible. The same feeling was also expressed by the political leadership of British India,
Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of the Subcontinent admitted in their memories,
“Had I any clue that Jinnah would die in 1948, I would extended the date of division and Pakistan would never have been there on the world map.”
Vijay Lakshmi Pandit, sister of Jawaharlal Nehru once stated,
“If Muslim League had one hundred Gandhies and two hundred Abual Kalams and congress had only one ‘Muhammad Ali Jinnah’, India would never been partitioned.”
Sayings of Qauid-e-Azam on different occasions,
For Women,
“No nation can rise to the height unless your women are side by side with you. We are victims of evil customs. It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut up within the four walls of the houses as prisoners. There is no sanction anywhere for the deplorable condition in which our women have to live.”
Highlighting importance of education,
“The education is a matter of life and death for Pakistan. The world is progressing so rapidly that without requisite advances in education, not only shall we be left behind other but may be wiped out altogether.”
Safeguarding rights of minorities,
In his Presidential address to the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in Karachi on August 11, 1947, Jinnah said, “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.”
Jinnah’s message to the nation,
“It is only with united effort and faith in our destiny that we shall be able to translate the Pakistan of our dreams into reality.”
