Educational progress of Frontier Province (18th Apr 1948)

Reply to the Address of Welcome Presented by the Principal, Staff and Students of the Edwards College, Peshawar on l8th April, 1948.

Mr. Principal, Members of the Staff and my Student-friends,

I am no stranger to this Institution. I came here, as your Address rightly records, in 1936. Well, perhaps many of you do not know what happened then, but, Mr. Principal, the sympathy and the kindness that your Institution showed me at that time, I shall always remember. I was, to put it one word, literally dismissed from this Province in 1937. But that did not dishearten me, I came again, I believe, in 1945 or 1946 during the time of the last election. I found then that there was a great change, but, unfortunately, on that occasion also we were defeated. I do not like to remind you of unpleasant things. My young friends, ladies and gentlemen, I would say one word and it is this that this Province of yours had to undergo a lot of suffering and trouble, but it was ultimately saved by the Grace of God. Today, I am happy to see better things here. What more can one really expect than to see that this mighty land has now been brought under a rule, which is Islamic, Muslim rule, as a sovereign independent State. Now, we have much more difficult task ahead–how to reconstruct, how to build it up and how to revolutionise and re-model the past legacies from which we are suffering, namely, the mentality, the character and the evil customs of which we have been the victims for a century or more as slave people.

Mr. Principal, everytime I came, your Institution was kind to me and today, you were good enough to pay me a compliment of the highest order. I thank you, your Staff and my young friends. I am very glad to note from the address of the development of this Institution. The history of your College is one, which any student should feel proud of. It is very gratifying to learn of your many activities in the realm of education and the spreading of knowledge and learning amongst the people of the Frontier. In your Address, Mr. Principal, you have touched on subjects to which I am paying close attention. I am glad you are giving a new re-orientation to the system of education. I entirely agree that instead of turning mere clerks and Government servants, your College is now offering suitable subjects for students, which would enable them to take their places in commerce, trade, industry, banking and insurance business. It should be the aim of our Colleges to produce first class experts in Agriculture, Zoology, Engineering, Medicine and other specialised subjects. Only thus shall we be able to come to grips with the problems that are now facing us in the task of raising the standard of living, especially of the common man. The interest of Frontier Province is naturally close to my heart. Its affairs are more directly the concern of the Office that I have the honour to hold. I can assure you; therefore, I shall watch with great interest what this Institution is doing to help in spreading education amongst the people of this Province. I am very glad to note that the Provincial Government and your Prime Minister are looking after your Institution so well and extend to you their help and guidance. Mr. Principal, this is the most refreshing note that I have observed in your Address, a thing that is generally very rare. It is when you say, “we do not mean to take this opportunity of placing our needs before you, because we are being very well looked after by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Khan Abdul Qayum Khan, who is a great source of inspiration to us”. This is, as I have said, very rare. Generally every class, every section, every association, every individual is used to a system and a method. It is either full of praises and flattery, which is demoralising, or it is full of grievances and complaints. Most of the Addresses are nothing, but petitions and prayers.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I do not blame you. It is the fault of the system under which we have been working and which has so demoralised our people. They do not see they cannot realise what a revolutionary and basic change has taken place. Now, you have not to submit petitions and prayers. This Government is your Government. But every Government is slow to move with regard to its policy, with regard to its program. The Administration moves in a particular way, and this applies to every sovereign independent Government. No doubt, I do not claim that ours is a model Administration. Far from it. I do not say that our Government has, within the few months that we have been in power, been always right. No, far from it. There is plenty improvement in our room for Administration and in those who are in-charge of the Government, the Ministers in the Provinces and at the Center, including myself. Everyday we learn, but now I want you to keep your heads up as citizens of a free and independent sovereign State.

Praise your government when it deserves, Criticise your government fearlessly when it deserves, but, do not go on all the time attacking, including in destructive criticism, taking delight in running down the Ministry or the Officials. They are not now bureaucrats. This is not a foreign Government that you should take delight in exaggerating things, in indulging in destructive criticism. This is your Government. It is quite different from its predecessor. Therefore, appreciate when a good thing is done. Certainly criticise fearlessly, when a wrong thing is done. I welcome criticism, but it must be honest and constructive. Mind you, by that method you will improve matters more quickly for the benefit of our own people.

Mr. Principal, Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you for the honour you have done this and me is the third time that you have received me so warmly. I hope in future also, I shall have the honour and the opportunity of visiting your Institution.

Pakistan Zindabad

Essential qualities of a regiment (15th Apr 1948)

Address at the Presentation of Colours to the 2/15th Punjab Machine Gun Regiment, Peshawar, on I5th April, 1948.

This occasion, which has afforded me opportunity of presenting colours to your Regiment, is an honour of which I need hardly say that I feel very proud. The qualities that are required for the making of a Regiment like yours of a very high order such as an unbounded sense of discipline, loyalty, and selfless devotion to duty and physical endurance. A man cannot at all times be thinking of great qualities; –and indeed he would be a poor sort of man if he were to lose himself in an analysis of qualities–but let me tell you in a nutshell, they are all embodied in one simple phrase–loyalty to your Regiment–and your colours are a symbol and a reminder of what your Regiment stands for just as you stand for your nation. It is not for me to praise your records in the battles that you have fought: that is a matter of history and facts. But I may venture to say that I have learnt of your heroic deed with great interest and pride. But a Regiment has much more to do than be in the firing lines of the battlefield, and you have, I hope, more years of peace than war before you.

Live always true to the ideals to which you have just dedicated yourselves afresh–to the service of Pakistan, and make your contribution to the protection of the weak and to the hollowed memory of your comrades and thus enhance the glory of Islam.

It is not words that count so much as deeds and-I am confident that you will live up to your traditions when you are called upon to defend your country and the safety and security of your nation. You will, I am sure, hold aloft the banner of Pakistan and maintain its honour and prestige as a great nation.

In your new journey, let me tell you that you have my best wishes.

Pakistan Zindabad

The Frontier policy of Pakistan (14 Apr 1948)

Address to the Tribal Jirga at Government House, Peshawar on 17th April, 1948.

I have been looking forward since long to meet you, representatives of the Tribes of the North-West Frontier, and it has given me very great pleasure indeed to have met you here today. I am sorry I have not been able to visit you in your own part of the country, but I hope to be able to do so sometime in the future.

I thank you for you’re welcome to me and for the kind personal references you have made about me. Whatever I have done, I did as a servant of Islam, and only tried to perform my duty and made every possible contribution within my power to help our nation. It has been my constant endeavour to try to bring about unity among Mussalmans, and I hope that in the great task of reconstruction and building up Great and Glorious Pakistan, that is ahead of us, you realize that solidarity is now more essential than it ever was for achieving Pakistan, which by the Grace of God we have already done. I am sure that I shall have your fullest support in this mission. I want every Mussalman to do his utmost and help me and support me in creating complete solidarity among the Mussalmans, and I am confident that you will not lag behind any other individual or part of Pakistan. We Mussalmans believe in one God, one book–the Holy Quran–and one Prophet. So we must stand united as one Nation. You know the old saying that in unity lies strength united we stand, divided we fall.

I am glad to note that you have pledged your loyalty to Pakistan, and that you will help Pakistan with all your resources and ability. I appreciate this solemn declaration made by you today. I am fully aware of the part that you have already played in the establishment of Pakistan, and I am thankful to you for all the sympathy and support you gave me in my struggle and fight for the establishment of Pakistan. Keeping in view your loyalty, help, assurances and declarations we ordered, as you know, the withdrawal of troops from Waziristan as a concrete and definite gesture on our part–that we treat you with absolute confidence and trust you as our Muslim brethren across the border. I am glad that there is full realization on your part that now the position is basically different. It is no longer a foreign Government as it was, but it is now a Muslim government and Muslim rule that holds the reigns of this great independent sovereign State of Pakistan. It is now the duty of every Mussalman, yours and mine, and every Pakistani to see that the State, which we have established, is strengthened in every department of life and made prosperous and happy for all, especially the poor and the needy.

Pakistan has no desire to unduly interfere with your internal freedom. On the contrary; Pakistan wants to help you and make you, as far as it lies in our power, self-reliant and self-sufficient and help in your educational, social and economic uplift, and not be left as you are dependent on annual doles, as has been the practice hitherto which meant that at the end of the year you were no better off than beggars asking for allowances, if possible a little more. We want to put you on your legs as self-respecting citizens who have the opportunities of fully developing and producing what is best in you and your land. You know that the Frontier Province is a deficit province, but that does not trouble us so much. Pakistan will not hesitate to go out of its way to give every possible help–financial and otherwise–to build up the economic and social life of our tribal brethren across the border.

I agree with you that education is absolutely essential, and I am glad that you appreciate the value of it. It will certainly be my constant solicitude and indeed that of my Government to try to help you to educate your children and with your co-operation and help we may very soon succeed in making a great progress in this direction.

Your desire for entering the Pakistan Service in the Civil and Military will receive my full consideration and that of my Government, and I hope that some progress would be made in this direction also without unnecessary delay.

You have also expressed your desire that the benefit, such as your allowances and khassadari, that you have had in the past and are receiving, should continue. Neither my Government nor I have any desire to modify the existing arrangements except, in consultation with you, so long as you remain loyal and faithful to Pakistan.

I know there has been scarcity of foodgrains, cloth, and sugar. You must realize that we have all been passing through difficult times all over the world and Pakistan is no exception; indeed the whole world is facing hardships, but we are not unmindful of this problem, and we are endeavouring to the utmost of our capacity, with special care for Baluchistan and the Frontier Province, and you will not be neglected in. this respect. We will do our utmost to see that essential commodities reach you in time and in reasonably sufficient quantities. I am hoping and looking forward to the time when more normal conditions may present themselves to us, so that we may be able to live with more ease and comfort in the way of food, clothing, housing and all the necessities of life.

In the end, I warmly thank you for the wholehearted and unstinted declaration of your pledge and your assurances to support Pakistan, so that it may reach the pinnacle of glories of Islam and become a great and mighty nation among other nations of the world.

Pakistan Zindabad

Administration must be impartial -Advice to Govt. servants (14th Apr 1948)

Informal talk to Civil Officers at Government House, Peshawar on 14th April, 1948.

The reason why I wanted to meet you is that I wanted to say a few words to you, who are occupying very important position in the administration of Pakistan in this Province.

The first thing that I want to tell you is this, that you should not be influenced by any political pressure, by any political party or individual politician. If you want to raise the prestige and greatness of Pakistan, you must not fall a victim to any pressure, but do your duty as servants to the people and the State, fearlessly and honestly. Service is the backbone of the State. Governments are formed, Government is defeated, Prime Ministers come and go, Ministers come and go, but you stay on, and, therefore, there is a very great responsibility placed on your shoulders. You should have no hand in supporting this political party or that political leader–this is not your business. Whichever Government is formed according to the constitution, and whoever happens to be the Prime Minister or Minister coming into power in the ordinary constitutional course, your duty is not only to serve that government loyally and faithfully, but, at the same time, fearlessly, maintaining your high reputation, your prestige, your honour and the integrity of your service. If you will start with that determination, you will make a great contribution to the building up of Pakistan of our conception and our dream–a glorious State and one of the greatest nations in the world.

While impressing this upon you on your side, I wish also to take the opportunity of impressing upon our leaders and politicians in the same way that if they ever try to interfere with you and bring political pressure to bear upon you, which leads to nothing but corruption, bribery and nepotism; –which is a horrible disease, and for which not only your province, but others too, are suffering–if they try and interfere with you in this way, I say, they are doing nothing but disservice to Pakistan.

I hope that each one of you will understand hi, own sphere of duty and responsibility and act with others harmoniously and in complete co-operation, keeping in mind that each has to do his duty within the sphere to which he belongs. If you on your side start with that determination and enthusiasm–and I hope the other side will also realise what terrible evil they are raising up and how it demoralises the service to try and influence this department or that department; this officer or that officer–and if you will stick to your determination you will have done a great service to your nation. Putting pressure and influence on service people, I know is a very common fault of politicians and those today, resolve and determine to act according to my humble advice that I am giving you.

May be some of you may fall victims for not satisfying the whims of Ministers. I hope it does not happen, but you may even be put to trouble not because you are doing anything wrong but because you are doing right. Sacrifices have to be made and I appeal to you, if need be, to come forward and make the sacrifice and face the position of being put on the blacklist or being otherwise worried or troubled. If you will give me the opportunity of your sacrifices, some of you at least, believe me; we will find a remedy for that very soon. I tell you that you will not remain on the blacklist if you discharge your duties and responsibilities honestly, sincerely and loyally to the State. It is you who can give us the opportunity to create powerful machinery, which will give you a complete sense of security.

Everybody should realise that there is a fundamental and vital change of the entire Government and the constitution under which we are working. You should try to create an atmosphere and work in such a spirit that everybody gets a fair clean and justice is done to everybody. And not merely should justice be done but people should feel that justice has been doneto them. There may be some selfish people–and I know your class is no exception–who think of immediate advantages, and work or act for better prospects and promotions and so on for themselves, and therefore, for the time being, they create difficulties and sometimes they start slogans about outsiders such as Punjabi, Sindhis or Pathans all such things are a hindrance and an obstruction in the way of galvanising the people and welding them together as a great nation. It is not that we want to put any difficulty in the way of the sons of the province. No doubt, it is your province; if you have men who are fit for high jobs, I assure you, they will not escape our notice. You should draw our attention and tell us that here is a man; and not only shall we be very glad that he should flourish, prosper and progress in this province, but we shall see to it that he is given his proper place in Pakistan. We want men who are fit for high jobs and sometimes it is really difficult to find the right type of men. There are so many things that are going on and I sometimes find great difficulty in getting the right man for the right post. It is very difficult; I am trying my very best to get the right men. If you will give me time and your support and cooperation, believe me, that the field for service is not going to be confined so far as you are concerned, to your province but will be extended to the whole of Pakistan. Of course, it must take time; it cannot be done at once. I hope that with assistance, co-operation and support from you and from the people, we shall be able to make very rapid progress.

Finally, I congratulate you for having done well so far. The dangerous position, in which we were placed when we took over power from the British Government, has passed.

It was a big task and things were made difficult for us. I need not go into details, but you know how we were constantly faced with an organised plan to crush Pakistan and to break us. In other provinces as well as in your province, the services have done well in spite of all that. We have warded off and withstood all machinations, and your province has not lagged behind in this respect. And, therefore, I sincerely congratulate you for the way is which you have managed things here, and I hope that you will continue in the same spirit. There is plenty of room for improvement. We have to learn a lot and we have to adjust ourselves to new developments, new issues which are facing us. But I am sure you will play your part well.

I thank you for giving me this opportunity of saying these few words. I wish you all success in efforts.

Pakistan Zindabad

Armoured Corps -Spearhead of the army (13th Apr 1948)

Address to Officers and men of Pakistan Armoured Corps Center, Naushera 13th April, 1948.

Officers and Men,

As you know on partition all Armoured Corps Training Establishments were in India. We were left with absolutely no training Establishment for Armoured Corps. Literally, we in Pakistan had to start from scratch in this particular field. And it was very essential to take steps to open a Pakistan Training Establishment as soon as possible so that the intake of recruits should not be held up and their training should continue with as little break as possible and Courses could be run for Regiments. But unfortunately, considerable delay was caused owing to the impossibility of moving the Pakistan element from India until October, and I am glad to say it is due to the untiring efforts of all of you that, in such a short space of time, the Center is now functioning fully in all departments.

The Cavalry has always been the spearhead of the Army. This is no less true in these days of mechanisation than it was in the day of horses. To carry out their role, Cavalry must have the very best in Officers and men; whether they do in fact attain this level depends very largely on you. You produce the recruit and turn him out as a trained soldier. You train officers and men in all the latest developments of your arm of the service. Upon this training and teaching depends the efficiency of the Armoured Corps as a whole.

Those of you, who are in the Staff of the Center, make up your minds that there is always room for improvement, and much depends upon your efforts.

Those of you, who are under training, determine always to do your best, to take the fullest advantage of your opportunities here.

There are many of you on parade today who have come here before going on pension or release. Your Army Service is completed and you have given the best years of your life to the service of your Country. Your Country is grateful. Many of you may not wish to go–but it is unavoidable. After all great wars, it is necessary to reduce the Army to its peacetime strength and all cannot remain.

Remember that you have learned much of the world and of the duties of a good citizenship in the Army. You can continue to serve your Country in your homes by spreading this knowledge and by the example of your way of living.

There are many among you, who are refugees from India. You are uncertain of the future for yourselves and for your families. I can assure you that problem are receiving the most earnest attention of Government and that no efforts are being spared in endeavouring to arrange for our resettlement. I am glad to know that this Center contributed the sum of Rs. 4,516 to the Quaid-i-Azam’s Relief Fund, which is giving much aid in this work.

Do not forget Espirit-DE- CORPS–pride in your Regiment, pride in the Corps as a whole, and pride in and devotion to your Country–Pakistan; Pakistan depends on you and puts her faith in you as defenders of your Country. Be worthy of her. This Army was built up and made its reputation due to the devotion and bravery of your fathers and grandfathers. Make up your minds to be worthy sons.

You have started well and have accomplished much. Continue as you have started and all will be well with the Pakistan Armoured Corps.

Pakistan Zindabad