KARACHI: “We crossed rivers of blood and piles of dead bodies while entering Pakistan, a country that is a great divine blessing. If anything bad happens to our homeland, people living here will face subjugation like the millions of Muslims who are suffering in India,” said 92-year-old Moib Ali Khan, who was an active member of the Pakistan Movement before August 1947.
“I remember seeing bodies of those who were killed by Hindus and Sikhs in the streets of New Delhi. Many of these corpses of Muslims were rotting, but there was no one to take them away for burial. Everything was in a mess,” Khan shared his harrowing tale of Partition while talking to Arab News on Tuesday.
Born in 1926 in Rampur, Khan is one of the few people who witnessed the creation of Pakistan who is still alive today. Before leaving New Delhi for Karachi, he was an active member of the Muslim League National Guard, a quasi-military group associated with the All-India Muslim League.
“When on August 7, 1947, Quaid-e-Azam (Great Leader) Muhammad Ali Jinnah left New Delhi for Karachi, our commander ordered us to doff our uniform since the attacks by Hindu mobs had multiplied,” he added.
He recalled meeting the founder of Pakistan in New Delhi and finding him inspirational when he was running his own furniture business. He recounted how Jinnah’s sister Fatima came into his shop and asked him to come to the Jinnah home to fix some furniture. He visited the house the next day, but had a disagreement over the price of fixing the piece with Fatima.
“The Quaid-e-Azam was watching us from his meeting room,” Khan continued. “He came to us and asked if we were angry with ‘Bahi Ji’ (Fatima Jinnah). He also asked us what we were demanding.” Jinnah then negotiated a rate with him.
“Until then, I did not know the two high-profile figures. Later, one of their servants told me that he was the ‘King of Muslims’ and people addressed him as Jinnah Sahib,” he added.
Khan is anxious about the current state of the country, especially the deep-rooted corruption. “We have seen and experienced the pain and humiliation in colonial India. The freedom we enjoy today has cost us millions of lives and should not be downplayed,” he added.
Muslims in the Indian subcontinent were poor, having limited access to businesses that were dominated by Hindus.
“After Partition, when we came to Pakistan, there was an acute shortage of everything, even fabric,” said Sheikh Muhammad Zaki, 93-year-old chairman of Zaki Industrial Corporation.
“We would chase shipments coming at the Karachi Harbor and buy things from Hindu owners at throwaway prices since they were leaving Pakistan and wanted to offload their liabilities,” Zaki told Arab News.
“Initially, we purchased and sold items. Now, we make and sell them.” So successful was he, that he now runs multiple businesses.
Like Moib Ali Khan, Zaki is worried about present-day Pakistan. “Corruption flows from top to bottom,” he observed. “It has also infected the general public. It must end now.”
As Pakistan enters its 71st year on August 14, 2018, the country is in the process of forming a new government following recent general elections.
Like many young Pakistanis, nonagenarians like Khan and Zaki seem to be enthralled by the slogan of tabdeeli (or change) that has been raised by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.
“All eyes are set on the PTI leader who wants to weed out corruption from the country,” said Khan.
“It’s going to be daunting task,” Zaki added, “but it needs to be done.”
I saw Pakistan come into being: Eyewitness accounts of the Pakistan Movement
I saw Pakistan come into being: Eyewitness accounts of the Pakistan Movement
- We sacrificed the lives of millions to get this country, says 92-year-old Moib Ali Khan
- No compromise on freedom, but the country must rid itself of corruption, says Sheikh Muhammad Zaki
Pakistan PM urges pressure on Afghan Taliban to rein in militants, credits Gulf mediation
- PM says ceasefire agreed last month remains fragile
- Sharif raises Gaza, climate risks at forum in Turkmenistan
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday urged the international community to press Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities to prevent militant groups from operating from Afghan soil, while praising Gulf and regional countries for their efforts to mediate a fragile ceasefire amid heightened tensions between the two neighboring nations.
Sharif was addressing the International Forum dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust 2025, the International Day of Neutrality, and the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality, hosted in Ashgabat.
Pakistan has accused Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government of failing to curb cross-border militancy, including attacks by the Pakistani Taliban, allegations Kabul denies. Relations between the two neighbors have deteriorated since October, when border clashes killed dozens, prompting emergency talks in Doha, Istanbul and Saudi Arabia. While understandings were reached with regional mediation, Pakistani officials say the ceasefire remains fragile.
“We need the international community to urge the Afghan Taliban regime to fulfill its international obligation and commitments, and reigning terrorist elements, operating from its territory,” Sharif said in his address at the forum in Turkmenistan.
“In the meanwhile, we are very grateful to our brotherly countries Qatar, Turkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE and Iran for their sincere desire and efforts to achieve permanent ceasefire, which as I speak, is still very fragile.”
This week, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi pledged in a speech that Afghan territory will not be used to harm other countries and warned that anyone found violating that directive would face action by the Islamic Emirate. A gathering of Afghan religious scholars also reportedly passed a resolution barring the use of Afghan soil for attacks abroad. According to Afghan broadcaster Tolo News, around 1,000 scholars attended the meeting and endorsed measures allowing the government to act against violators.
PEACEFUL DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Speaking at the Ashgabat summit, Sharif said Pakistan’s foreign policy prioritized peaceful dispute resolution and multilateral engagement, noting Islamabad’s recent election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, where it aims to contribute to global peace and security.
Turning to the Middle East, the prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s support for efforts to end the conflict in Gaza, calling for a lasting ceasefire to protect civilians, allow humanitarian aid to flow and support reconstruction. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s backing for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and also reiterated support for the Kashmiri people.
Sharif linked peace with sustainable development, warning that climate change, poverty and inequality posed transnational threats requiring collective international responses. He said Pakistan had suffered severe human and economic losses from climate-induced disasters in recent years, underlining the need for equitable access to technology and climate finance.
The forum in Ashgabat brought together regional and international leaders to discuss neutrality, trust and cooperation in addressing global security and development challenges.
