'I was 13 when the Pakistan Resolution was passed'

Quaid-e-Azam's address at the All India Muslim League's session in 1940 became the basis for the partition into two separate homelands for Muslims and Hindus.

Retired Pakistani Brigadier General Iqbal Shafi recalls the Quaid's role in the birth of Pakistan, along with the time he spent in Jinnah's proximity, attending his speeches in Aligarh and following his rallies in Delhi.

"The most important and historic incident occurred in 1940 when the Pakistan Resolution was passed. I was 13 years old and studying in the seventh grade at the Muslim University High School."

He recalls, "What happened to Aligarh (after the resolution) was like being stuck by a lightning bolt and we joined the Bacha Muslim League in 1940. In the Bacha Muslim league we used to shout slogans like 'We will achieve Pakistan!'..."

"Quaid-e-Azam visited Aligarh every year from 1940-1946. Six years, until I joined the army. And I have seen him in close proximity, heard his speeches and then we used to travel to Delhi to attend his rallies."

"To see Quaid-e-Azam from 1940-1946, to listen to him every year, I believe it is a treasure trove I possess."

Said Shafi, "He used to call it it 'my annual pilgrimage to Aligarh' and he used to address the youth every time. His diction was so Shakespearean. I remember once he said, 'Look here, your parents are spending a lot of money on your education, you better concentrate on your education, and don't enter into any politics' but it changed in 1945. I still remember his speech then, where he said, 'Even if an electric post has a League ticket, vote for it.' Quaid wanted Pakistan, our own country."

This article is part of a week-long series on achieving independence and the early years of Pakistan, run collaboratively by Images and The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP).

CAP is a non-profit organization dedicated to cultural and historic preservation. It seeks to educate the community, foster an awareness of our nation’s history and instill pride in Pakistani citizens about their heritage.