A disaster called Pakistan Muslim League

My late father Nazir A. Malik, joined the All India Muslim League (AIML) in 1935 and rose to be its Secretary Finance and Vice President of the Ludhiana chapter. After Partition in 1947, the family migrated to Pakistan with high hopes and aspirations. Like most freedom loving, upright and honest party members, my old man got disillusioned with the party which fell into the ‘Toady Trap’. As loyalty was the hallmark of Jinnah’s leadership, he never joined any other political outfit.

However at the fag end of his innings, the old guard organized themselves under the banner of ‘ Karkunane Tehreek-e-Pakistan led by Nawab Zulfiqar Mamdot. For his struggle in the freedom movement, Malik Sahib was bestowed with the Tehreek-e-Pakistan Gold Medal on 14 August 1990 which now hangs in my study as a token of thanks to that generation that not only delivered but also realised the dream by their untiring efforts to build national institutions. I was born and raised as a Muslim League child, and portraits of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the other founding fathers were displayed all over the house.

Stalwarts of the freedom movement like Khan Qayyum Khan and Hussain Shaheed Suharwardy did try to rekindle the original spirit, but were soon sidelined or cornered. It took me a while to understand that the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) was not the continuity of the AIML, the founding party of the country. The honeymoon or transition was shortlived. As President of the AIML, the Quaid presided over the Executive Committee (EC) meeting of the party. He desired a constitutional transition of the new political entity but the EC under the ‘ Toady Influence’ wanted him out. After repeated unsuccessful attempts, Jinnah walked out of the meeting and severed all his links with the PML. Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman replaced the father of the nation to lead the newly formed ‘Toady League’. It proved to be the beginning of the end for the founding party of the country. While the rotten stayed behind, the scrupulous like Suharwardy, Maulvi Fazal Haq and Mian Ifthikaruddin branched off.

The Quaid continued as Governor General but had no say in running the party. By July 1948, his health deteriorated and he left for Ziarat, where he spent his last 60 days only to return to die on a Karachi footpath. His sister Madre Millat Fatima Jinnah was confined to her residence. After the murder of the first Prime Minister Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan in 1951 it was all over.

For the democratic order to take root, ‘Toady Parties’ like the PML have to be dealt with. Bhutto banned the ‘ Freemasons Movement in Pakistan ‘ and took over their lodge located at 90 Shahrae Quaid-e-Azam. It is time to shut down the ‘Freemasons Lodge of Democracy’ on Davis Road that has been the incubator of all brands of PMLs.

There was a ‘Grand Alliance of Toadies’ that took control to manipulate the democratic order. Ghulam Muhammad was followed by Iskander Mirza and finally Ayub Khan landed on the saddle.

The first dictator called ‘Toady League’ for support which caused its split. A building located at 33 Davis Road was named ‘Muslim League House’ and made available. Keeping the ‘Toady’ traditions alive, the faction led by Chaudhry Khaliq decided to move there and was called PML (Convention) while those who stayed behind were named PML (Council). Several brand of Muslim Leagues were launched from this building which has proven to be the ‘Freemasons Lodge’ of Democracy. After the 1985 partyless elections both Muhammad Khan Junejo and Mian Nawaz Sharif were launched from here under the banner of PML (Pagara). Later PML (Nawaz) and PML (Quaid-e-Azam) were also incubated here.

In 1965 Ayub Khan contested the Presidential elections against Madre Millat on a PML (Con) ticket while the combined opposition supported her. She was called a traitor by some of the PML stalwarts who are now a part of the PML(N). Ms Jinnah demanded restoration of the 1956 Constitution to save the federation, while those who opposed her are responsible for the break-up of Quaid’s Pakistan, and their guile and cover-up cannot hide their disservice to the motherland.

Last week there were two very disturbing happenings. Imran Khan, after resisting the induction of Moonis Elahi into his Cabinet finally succumbed to the traditional PML(Q) blackmail. The second was a TV discussion in which Aftab Iqbal the brilliant host suggested that Pervaiz Elahi should have been appointed Chief Minister of Punjab. The entire election campaign of PML(N) in Azad Kashmir has been derogatory to the cause of freedom, the speech of the Kashmir Affairs Minister was also inappropriate but it was directed more against an individual.

Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi, a dismissed sub-inspector of Police, was launched in Punjab to derail the democratic order and the dynasty has lived up to its design. The Sharifs were introduced by the third usurper to neutralize the democratic gains of the Bhutto regime and to damage civilian institutions which they have done with impunity together with building their personal empires. The temptation of wealth generation was so overwhelming that even Bhutto’s party under the leadership of Zardari fell into the trap.

For the democratic order to take root, ‘Toady Parties’ like the PML have to be dealt with. Bhutto banned the ‘ Freemasons Movement in Pakistan ‘ and took over their lodge located at 90 Shahrae Quaid-e-Azam. It is time to shut down the ‘Freemasons Lodge of Democracy’ on Davis Road that has been the incubator of all brands of PMLs. As a Muslim League child, with sorrow and pain I demand the dismantling of all brands of PML for causing immeassurable damage to Pakistan and its nascent democracy.