Glimpses of Muslim League roadmap for political and economic emancipation

The emergence of Pakistan as an independent sovereign and the largest Muslim State in the world on 14 August 1947, was the outcome of an epic struggle of the 100 million Indian Muslims under the charismatic leadership of M.A. Jinnah who was endowed with a steel determination, sharp vision, great political acumen, steadfastness and sagacity.
These were the vital assets for attainment of Pakistan, which was the final national goal of Muslim India, as enunciated by the Lahore Resolution of 1940. Jinnah put up a valiant struggle to defend the ideological and economic bases of the demand for Pakistan from 1940 to 14 August 1947.
Speaking in the 11 August session of the Constitutent Assembly of Pakistan, he said: "I think the whole world is wondering at this unprecedented cyclonic revolution which has brought about the plan of creating and establishing two independent sovereign dominions in this sub-continent.... This might, sub-continent with all kinds of inhabitants, has been brought under a plan which is titanic, unknown, unparalleled.
And what is very important with regard to it is that we have achieved it peacefully and by means of an evolution of the greatest possible character". Yet this success was the fruit of a sustained fight with the opponents of Pakistan on political, cultural, geographic and economic grounds. Some glimpse of this struggle appear in the following paragraphs.
In an interview to API on 2 January, 1942, Jinnah asserted: "Muslim India is fighting and struggling for survival and for its right of self-determination...
The ideology of the League is based on the fundamental principle that Muslim India is an independent nationality.... We are determined, and let there be no mistake about it, to establish the states of an independent nation and as independent state in this sub-continent".
Speaking on the Pakistan Day on 23 March 1942, Jinnah expressed his reaction to the Cripps Proposals in these words: "We are prepared to face all consequences if any scheme or proposal which is detrimental to the interest of Muslims is forced upon us....
If any other machinations and intrigues are resorted to, whether by Hindu leadership, singly or in combination, we shall resist it till we are all dead".
When the Indian National Congress launched the Quit India Movement in 1942 and demanded of British authorities an immediate and unconditional declaration of India's independence and freedom with the right of the people to frame their own constitution.
On the basis of a united and democratic India. In an interview to United Press of America (UPA) on 23 December 1943, Jinnah said he understood the Congress game very clearly. If the British conceded the Congress demand for Akhund Bharat, the Muslims would be reduced to a position of hewers of wood and drawers of water, for the Muslims would be entirely at the mercy of the Hindu majority".
In his Pakistan Day message on 23 March 1945, Jinnah roared: "Pakistan is our irrevocable and unalterable demand.... Establishment of Pakistan in the north-western and eastern zones of the sub-continent, as you know, is a struggle of life and death for Muslim India".
Again on the occasion of Pakistan Day, 23 March 1946, Jinnah reminded his compatriots: "The achievement of Pakistan to us means our very existence and all that Islam stands for in this sub-continent".
In an interview to Reuters special correspondent on 30 March 1946 Jinnah reiterated the real threat of Hindu domination if Pakistan was not established. He said, "Muslims are opposed to a united India constitution, with central government, federal or otherwise. We are opposed to this because it will mean our transfer from British raj to the Hindu raj. A united India means a Hindu racial and cultural majority dominating over Muslims whose civilisation, culture and social structure of life is totally different".
ECONOMIC INTERESTS PRIME MOVER OF FREEDOM STRUGGLE:
Equally forceful was the defence put up by Jinnah on the question of economic viability of Pakistan, raised by the Hindu leadership. The economic question had three major dimensions in relation to the demand for Pakistan. First, the Muslim minority in British India had been faced with growing economic insecurity, economic backwardness, ignorance and squalor.
About 100 million Muslims of British India felt they were too numerous to be relegated to an unalterable position of an economically backward minority in the vast Hindu majority of undivided India. Second, their legitimate urge for economic uplift, socio-economic well-being and political empowerment had to be met through an effective and powerful political movement, launched by Muslim League under Jinnah's leadership.
Defending the economic viability of Pakistan, Jinnah told the APA correspondent on 8 November, 1945, that "Pakistan, divided into two separate zones, is just as sound an undertaking as though it would be a country with all of its states in one block; that its natural resources and population would be sufficient to make it a great world power.... There is a great future for it, with its still untouched iron, petroleum, sulphur, coal and other mineral deposits, many of which already have been mapped".
In an interview to the BBC correspondent on 2 April, 1946, Jinnah refuted the impression whether Pakistan would have the economic strength to be an independent nation. He said "Pakistan would be a powerful state. Even Congress party experts had a shock when they investigated the matter.... And thus the theory that the new country would not be economically sound is now exploded. Pakistan has wonderful economic opportunities. There would be trade with the world and British would benefit more than any one else".
ECONOMIC PLANNING COMMITTEE:
The AIML leadership had continued to successfully face the frontal attacks on the foundations of Pakistan on political plan by both Hindu and British critics. On the economic front it was confronted with the oft-repeated assumption that Pakistan State would not be viable. Jinnah continued to battle and rebut these malicious forebodings since 1940.
However, on an institutional level, the AIML embarked on the preparation of an effective roadmap for the socio-economic development of the proposed Pakistan areas. On 26 December 1943, it passed a resolution in its 31st session at Karachi to constitute a planning committee to hammer out a comprehensive outline of a development-cum-industrialisation plan in the Pakistan zones. On 3 August 1944, Jinnah formed a 23-member committee with Ali Nawaz Jung as its chairman and A.B.A. Haleem as Secretary. The Committee included the best Muslim brains selected on an all-India basis.
The declared objective of the Planning Committee was to make the fullest use of the potentialities of the Pakistan areas, to make a scientific study and survey to assess the natural and mineral wealth and the scope of various industries in the new country.
The AIML directed the Committee to prepare comprehensive scheme for introduction of free primary basic education, reform of land system, stabilisation of rent, security of tenure, improvement in the condition of labour and agriculture and control of money lending.
Fifteen sub-committees were formed on 3 September 1944 and 2 July 1945 to formulate recommendations in their designated areas of economy. These included agriculture production, soil conservation and afforestation; animal husbandry and dairying; fisheries; water resources and river regulation; communication and transport services, shipping; rural and cottage industries; fuel & power; mining, metallurgy, steel and other metals; chemical industry; manufacturing and engineering industries; transport industries; finance; public health; housing, trade and commerce; and survey of economic resources of Pakistan areas, including plan of economic development.
These sub-committees deliberated for over 12 months and presented the first part of its report to Jinnah in July 1945. The 40-page report incorporated the general principles and broad lines of economic policy to be pursued for Muslim India. In particular the recommendations were grouped under (1) Principles & Objectives; (2) Problems of Employment and reconstruction; (3) Productive Activity, Agriculture & Industry; (4) transport and communications; (5) Social services, including education, health and housing; (6) Defence; (7) Trade & Commerce; (8) Financial Implications of Programme, including 5-year and 20-year perspective.
The interesting part of the report of the Planning Committee is the projected financial plan for a 20-year perspective, estimated at Rs 157.5 billion in 1945 prices, divided, plan wise as under:

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PLAN:     OUTLAY RS. (BILLION)

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First Plan                 19.0

Second Plan                31.5

Third Plan                 45.5

Fourth-Fifth Plan          61.5

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The second part of the report on a comprehensive assessment of resources and development potentials of Pakistan areas, assigned to the Planning Committee in July 1945 could not be completed due to paucity of data.
It is also significant to note that G.M. Sayed, then President of Sindh Muslim League, actively participated in the discussions on the formation of the Planning Committee during the AIML session and urged the business community and other well-to-do Muslims to direct their efforts in the field of trade and commerce in Pakistan areas like Sindh to make the new country economically independent and self-supporting.
He informed Jinnah on 1 January 1944 that the Indian National Congress had already constituted a similar committee under Jawaharlal Nehru and that the AIML commitment to the economic emancipation of Pakistan areas should be deep-rooted and comprehensive.
Other notable persons associated with the work and advice included Mian Afzal Hussain, A.R. Nishtar, Anwar Iqbal Qureshi, M.L. Qureshi, M. Elyas Burney, Ahsan Yar Jung, Rafi Butt, S.M. Bashir, Mire Ghulam Ali, besides Hatim Alvi, Ahmad Isphahani, Jamiluddin Ahmad, Liaquat Ali Khan, Mire Laik Ali, K.M. Aslam.
The Cabinet Mission proposals of 1946 and the Interim Government of 1946-47, participated by the AIML, however, interfered with the formal approval of the economic roadmap. Early in February 1947, Jinnah sought formation of four expert committees to advise him on such economic issues as finance, currency distribution of assets, communications, post and telegraph, civil aviation, mineralogy and industry.
The holocaust following partition and the resulting large scale dislocation of economic and physical structures in Pakistan prevented launching a medium or long term planning and development framework.
ECONOMIC RECONSTRUCTION:
Jinnah's immediate agenda for economic reconstruction after Independence accorded top priority to a quick economic recovery and development of agriculture, industry, energy and water resources, with a thrust on raising the living standards of the people, removal of poverty and securing a rightful place for Pakistan in the affairs of Asia and of the world in general.
He appointed Sir Archibald Rowlands as his financial adviser in September 1947 to hammer out an outline plan for such important areas as reorganisation of economic structure, as a prelude for a long term change, establishment of an institutional framework fully capable to deliver, building up domestic resource base, monetary and fiscal management, flow of foreign investment capital, balance of payments and international economic relations. Rowlands submitted his report entitled Finances and Economics of Pakistan to Jinnah in December 1947.
Pakistan budgets for 1947-48 and 1948-49 lent financial support to the implementation of Rowlands' plan.
Finance Minister Ghulam Mohammad later recalled the unprecedented difficulties faced by Pakistan during 1947-48 - difficulties which would have overwhelmed many old and well established governments and shattered the economy of any well-organised country - and paid rich tributes to Jinnah under whose leadership the people carried on, and were ready to carry on against all odds.
FIST DEVELOPMENT PLAN:
A Planning Board was established in July 1953 for preparation, development and maintenance of comprehensive plans for the country. The spadework for a planning exercise initiated by Muslim League in 1945 and availability of such economic experts as M.L. Qureshi, Dr Anwar Iqbal Qureshi, Mohsin Ali and a few others who were members of that Committee in the newly created Planning Board must have helped Zahid Hussain draw the country's first Five Year Plan (1955-60) with a financial outlay of Rs 7.5 billion in 1955 prices, as against Rs 19.5 billion suggested by the Muslim League Committee report of 1945. Incidentally the first plan of Pakistan is still considered the best document on planning ever produced in Pakistan.
(The writer belongs to the Quaid-e-Azam Paper Project.)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2007