Home Critical Analysis/Archives Report on Punjab Disturbances of 1953

ALL PAKISTAN MUSLIM PARTIES CONVENTION IN KARACHI

After the speech of Chaudhri Zafrullah Khan on 18th May in Jehangir Park, Karachi, Maulana Lal Husain Akhtar convened a conference of All Pakistan Muslim Parties in the Theosophical Hall, Karachi. The invitations for this conference were issued over the signatures of Maulana Ehtisham-ul-Haq Thanvi, Maulana Abdul Haamid Badayuni, Maulana Jafar Husain Mujtahid, Maulana Muhammad Yusuf and Maulana Lal Husain Akhtar as decided upon in an alleged representative gathering of important Muslim parties. The conference was held at the house of the convener on 2nd June. The proceedings of that conference have not been produced, but it appears from papers produced by Maulana Ehtisham-ul-Haq that in that conference the following demands were formulated:—

(1) that the Ahmadis be declared a non-Muslim minority;

(2) that Chaudhri Zafrullah Khan be removed from the office of Foreign Minister;

(3) that Ahmadis be removed from all key posts; and

(4) that in order to achieve the aforesaid objects an All Pakistan Muslim Parties Convention be called.

This conference was presided over by Maulana Sayyad Suleman Nadvi, under whose chairmanship a board was also constituted which was to make arrangements for the next meeting of the Convention. The resolutions passed at this conference were approved in a public meeting held in Karachi.

The members of the board were the following:—

(1) Sayyad Suleman Sahib Nadvi, Chairman, Board of Ta’limat-i-Islami;

(2) Mufti Muhammad Shafi Sahib, Member, Board of Ta’limat-i-Islami;

(3) Maulana Abdul Haamid Sahib Badayuni;

(4) Allama Muhammad Yusuf Sahib Calceuttavi;

(5) Allama Mufti Sahib Dad Sahib;

(6) Allama Sultan Ahmad Sahib;

(7) Allama Ahmad Nurani Sahib;

(8) Maulana Lal Husain Akhtar Sahib;

(9) Al-Haj Hashim Gazdar Sahib;

(10) Maulana Jafar Husain Sahib Mujthid, Member, Board of Ta’limat-i-Islami ; and

(11) Maulana Ehtisham-ul-Haq, Convener.

In a meeting of the board held at the house of Mr. Muhammad Hashim Gazdar on 13th July, it was decided to issue invitations for the Convention to the following parties:—

(1) Jami’at-ul-Ulama-i-Pakistan,

(2) Jami’at-ul-Ulama-i-Islam,

(3) Jama’at-i-Islami,

(4) Tanzeem-i-Ahl-i-Sunnat-wal-Jama’at,

(5) Jami’at-i-Ahl-i-Sunnat,

(6) Jaim’at-i-Ahl-i-Hadith,

(7) Motamar-i-Ahl-i-Hadith, Punjab,

(8) Idara-i-Tahaffuz-i-Haquq-i-Shia, Punjab,

(9) Safina-tul-Muslimeen,

(10) Hizbollah, East Pakistan,

(11) Majlis-i-Tahaffuz-i-Khatm-i-Nubuwwat,

(12) Majlis-i-Ahrar,

(13) Jami’at-ul-Falah,

(14) Jami’at-ul-Arabiyya.

Representatives of the Jama’at-i-Islami to whom invitations were decided to be issued were Maulana Sayyed Abul Ala Maudoodi, Naeem Siddiqi, Chaudhri Ghulam Muhammad and Sultan Ahmad. The dates fixed for the Convention were 16th and l7th August but as will be pointed out later the Convention actually took place on 16th to 18th January 1953.