Letters between M.A. Jinnah and Nawab Iftikhar Hussain Khan

Sub title : Mamdot Concerning Political Organizing and Government Restrictions

Subject: Pakistan Conference | Political Ban | Punjab Government (1938) | Muslim League Organization | Unionist Party

Date of publication: 1938

Language: English

Page: 5p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 28100

Keyword: Pakistan Conference 1938 -- Banned Meeting -- Pindhi (Jullundur) -- Nawab of Mamdot | Unionist-Muslim League Relations -- Provincial Autonomy -- Freedom of Assembly | District Magistrate Discretion -- Political Negotiation -- Grassroots Mobilization

Abstract: This file contains copies of letters exchanged in May-June 1938 between Nawab Iftikhar Hussain Khan Mamdot, a prominent Muslim League leader in Punjab, and M.A. Jinnah. The core issue is the banning by the Punjab Government (a Unionist ministry led by Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan) of a "Pakistan Conference" scheduled for 16th May 1938 in the village of Pindhi, District Jullundur. Mamdot's detailed letter describes the extensive preparations and popular mobilization for the conference, only for it to be prohibited at the last moment by the District Magistrate under vague orders aimed at preventing communal disturbance. The correspondence reveals tensions between the grassroots organizing of the Muslim League and the Unionist-controlled provincial government. Jinnah's reply acknowledges a settlement has been reached but urges the Provincial League to ensure such incidents do not recur. An enclosed copy of Jinnah's telegram to the Premier, Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan, is also referenced.

Description: This dossier illuminates a critical early challenge in the popularization of the "Pakistan" idea at the provincial level. The letters showcase the energetic work of local League workers to consolidate Muslim opinion, confronted by the restraining hand of a coalition government wary of communal tension. The correspondence is significant for highlighting the complex relationship between the All-India Muslim League under Jinnah and the Unionist Party in Punjab, which included many Muslim landowners and officials. It demonstrates Jinnah's method of handling such conflicts: backing local workers while engaging in high-level diplomacy with provincial leaders. The documents are valuable for understanding the practical obstacles faced by the Pakistan movement in its formative years and the political maneuvering required to navigate provincial politics. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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