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    Reclaiming the Quaid's Vision

    Written by: The Editor
    Posted on: December 25, 2014 | | 中文

    Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah

    Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was born to an Ismaili Khoja family but later chose to join the Isna’ Ashari sect. However, religion was a private matter for him. His struggle for a homeland started with a demand for separate electorates for Muslims, what in modern day terminology is known as affirmative action. He felt that Muslims needed these safeguards in order to develop as a distinct community, and not be swamped politically and culturally by the majority community.

     His struggle was conducted purely along constitutional lines, and he eschewed more populist forms of civil disobedience, a weapon popular with Gandhi. Cognizant of the need to emancipate Muslim women of India, the Quaid was responsible for bringing them out of seclusion. His sister Fatima Jinnah, a trained dentist, was always at his side, a symbol of the new Muslim woman. He created a women’s section of the Muslim League at Patna in 1938, and women became important players in the Pakistan movement as they demonstrated on the streets of Lahore and traveled the length and breadth of the country in 1946/47. Not surprisingly, the Quaid was anathema to the orthodox and obscurantist Muslim parties who called him Kafir-e-Azam. A member of Khaksars, a semi-fascist anti-imperialist organization, made an attempt on his life in July 1943; Majlis-e-Ahrar, another obscurantist Muslim organization, tried in vain to pressurize him into not giving Muslim League tickets to the Ahmadis in the 1937 elections.  

    His speech of August 11, 1947 is clear and definitive, not only about the position of minorities, but more importantly, about the role of religion in the state of Pakistan: “You are free; 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”.

    At this historical juncture, when Pakistan faces the most serious existential threat since its inception, and the ignominy and horror of 16 December is still fresh, it is not enough to recall our founder’s vision but to reclaim it.

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    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021