Comments on: Constitutional & Political Challenges During Liaquat’s Premiership - 1/2 (1949-51) http://www.understandingpakistan.com/index.php/constitutional-and-political-challenges-during-liaquat-premiership-1949-1951-athar-osama/ An Investigation into the Life and Times of a Nation Sat, 19 May 2012 02:37:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: YLH http://www.understandingpakistan.com/index.php/constitutional-and-political-challenges-during-liaquat-premiership-1949-1951-athar-osama/#comment-231 YLH Mon, 16 Jul 2007 18:10:02 +0000 http://www.understandingpakistan.com/index.php/constitutional-and-political-challenges-during-liaquat-premiership-1949-1951-athar-osama/#comment-231 Jinnah had declared Urdu the "State Language" and not the national language... a difference which a constitutional barrister understood well... but neither the supporters of this decision nor the Bengalis understood it. In the same speech Jinnah declared that Bengali would be given its due status as the provincial language. Somehow that part is forgotten. Jinnah had declared Urdu the “State Language” and not the national language… a difference which a constitutional barrister understood well… but neither the supporters of this decision nor the Bengalis understood it.

In the same speech Jinnah declared that Bengali would be given its due status as the provincial language. Somehow that part is forgotten.

]]> By: Atif Abdul-Rahman http://www.understandingpakistan.com/index.php/constitutional-and-political-challenges-during-liaquat-premiership-1949-1951-athar-osama/#comment-41 Atif Abdul-Rahman Thu, 28 Jun 2007 15:14:25 +0000 http://www.understandingpakistan.com/index.php/constitutional-and-political-challenges-during-liaquat-premiership-1949-1951-athar-osama/#comment-41 The part where Muslim Leagues U-turn in policy by taking away provincial autonomy is still unclear, for me at least. If according to the above comment, Liaqat Ali Khan didnt have enough vote bank in the new Pakistan, then dissolving the feudal provincial governments might have been taken as a threat by the people at large in those provinces, either true or through propaganda by those more popular than him in those areas. In such a case, was there no other way to resolve the issue besides abrogating the provincial autonomies? Somehow this decision seems to be the one we are still plagued with today. Just a layman's observation. The part where Muslim Leagues U-turn in policy by taking away provincial autonomy is still unclear, for me at least. If according to the above comment, Liaqat Ali Khan didnt have enough vote bank in the new Pakistan, then dissolving the feudal provincial governments might have been taken as a threat by the people at large in those provinces, either true or through propaganda by those more popular than him in those areas.

In such a case, was there no other way to resolve the issue besides abrogating the provincial autonomies?

Somehow this decision seems to be the one we are still plagued with today.

Just a layman’s observation.

]]> By: Shahran Asim http://www.understandingpakistan.com/index.php/constitutional-and-political-challenges-during-liaquat-premiership-1949-1951-athar-osama/#comment-35 Shahran Asim Tue, 26 Jun 2007 02:32:29 +0000 http://www.understandingpakistan.com/index.php/constitutional-and-political-challenges-during-liaquat-premiership-1949-1951-athar-osama/#comment-35 Another fact that needs to be brought in here is that Shaheed-e-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan did not have any constituency in the existing Pakistan as he came into the Assembly by winning the seats from the reserved Muslim seats from UP as most of the prominent leaders. With the emergence of Pakistan, they lost their constituency and hence unfortunately got involved in creating one which landed him in a very different game. Punjab's Ex-Unionists and Sindh's Khuhro's whose own existence was very much dependant on their feudal might which was very much in control. Declaring of Urdu as national language by Quaid already created an uneasy feeling in the eastern wing that has the numerical majority on the western half. In addition to that, Bengal's populist outlook in politics was never in line with the mainstream politics of India let alone the Western Pakistan(which was famous for producing soldiers who fought for the British) due very nature of the economics, frequent famine and floods. Even as of today the West Bengal is still pretty much in control of the commonists for a considerable period. With that sort of diverse political equation, one can understand the challenges ahead for the ruling government. Another fact that needs to be brought in here is that Shaheed-e-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan did not have any constituency in the existing Pakistan as he came into the Assembly by winning the seats from the reserved Muslim seats from UP as most of the prominent leaders. With the emergence of Pakistan, they lost their constituency and hence unfortunately got involved in creating one which landed him in a very different game. Punjab’s Ex-Unionists and Sindh’s Khuhro’s whose own existence was very much dependant on their feudal might which was very much in control.

Declaring of Urdu as national language by Quaid already created an uneasy feeling in the eastern wing that has the numerical majority on the western half. In addition to that, Bengal’s populist outlook in politics was never in line with the mainstream politics of India let alone the Western Pakistan(which was famous for producing soldiers who fought for the British) due very nature of the economics, frequent famine and floods. Even as of today the West Bengal is still pretty much in control of the commonists for a considerable period.

With that sort of diverse political equation, one can understand the challenges ahead for the ruling government.

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