Pakistan seeks recording of Jinnah calling for secular state

By
fraaz
-
5
203

The speech, made in Karachi in 1947, set out Jinnah’s vision for a democratic, tolerant and well-governed democracy, but was largely ignored by his successors, especially its late dictator General Zia ul Haq, who “Islamicised” the country in the late 1970s.
Recordings of the speech were made and kept by the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation but were later destroyed.
According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation’s director has now appealed to his Indian counterpart at All-India Radio for a copy of one of the last surviving tape recordings.
Its director-general Murtaza Solangi wrote to AIR, explaining that Pakistan no longer has an audio recording of the speech, which the country’s liberals regard as a source of hope for the future.
“This speech is very important for people who want to direct the country to the goal of a modern, pluralistic, democratic state,” he told an Indian news group.
LD Mandloi, of All India Radio confirmed the approach from the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation and said his colleagues were trying to locate the tapes. He told The Daily Telegraph he would need approval from the government before handing over a copy.
Mr Jinnah’s speech reassured Pakistan’s minorities that: “You are free to go to your temples; free to go to your mosques, or any other place of worship in this Pakistan you may belong to any religion, caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the State.”
But after his death Pakistan was declared an Islamic republic in 1956 and later under General Zia ul Haq’s military dictatorship Sharia law was introduced and Christians, Hindus, Parsees, Sikhs, Shia and Ahmadiya Muslims all faced persecution and violence.
The late minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian, was assassinated last year for his campaign to overturn the country’s blasphemy law, which is used to intimidate non-Muslims in the country.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. what a shame!!!!!!, Pakistan destroyed recording of Jinnah's message to country,

  3. I dont know what does pakistan want to show to the world. For the last 30 years pakistan has used Islam as a tool for its interest by exporting militants to Afghanistan and India and now want to show itself as a liberal country. In my opinion it is called hypocricy. Allah says in sorat Baqara,15: And when they meet those who believe, they say, "We believe"; but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say, "Indeed, we are with you; we were only mockers." Till now they were calling PAKISTAN KA MATLAB KIA……..LA ILLAHA ILLALLAH and now they want to shwo the world that no no qaid-e azam told that we want liberal country………..shame

  4. Mr. zarawar_khan, I wish that the number of people like you who want to give some space to non-believers may increase.
    But seeking recorded tapes seems to be just a ploy to deceive your arch enemy. People of Pakistan have lost the ability to understand what 'secular' is. The intolerant atmosphere in Pakistan is not in consonance with democratic ideas with secular human face. Let Jinnah remain Jinnah, don't degrade him and make him say PAKISTAN KA MATLAB KIA……..LA ILLAHA ILLALLAH.

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