Correspondence from Mohammad Yamim Khan to M.A. Jinnah Regarding Assembly Boycott Directive

Sub title : Conflict Between Party Discipline and Constitutional Duties

Subject: All India Muslim League | Constitutional Crisis | Party Discipline vs Official Duty | Assembly Boycott

Date of publication: 1946

Language: English

Page: 4 p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 27655

Keyword: M.A. Jinnah -- Mohammad Yamim Khan -- Liaquat Ali Khan -- Muslim League Boycott | Constitutional Duty -- Deputy President -- Assembly Procedures | Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill -- 1946 Interim Government -- Party Discipline

Abstract: A letter and follow-up telegram from Mohammad Yamim Khan to M.A. Jinnah concerning a critical directive issued by Liaquat Ali Khan that ordered Muslim League members to boycott all committee meetings. The writer, who held the position of Deputy President in the Assembly, faced a dilemma between obeying this party directive and fulfilling his constitutional duties. He specifically referenced the Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill of importance to frontier operators and sought Jinnah's urgent guidance on whether he could attend committees in his official capacity as Deputy President without violating party discipline, drawing parallels with historical precedents from the Congress party's actions in 1930.

Description: This correspondence provides a fascinating glimpse into the internal challenges faced by the Muslim League during the crucial period of the 1946 Interim Government. It reveals the tension between strict party discipline and the practical requirements of governance, as Muslim League members held significant constitutional positions while the party pursued confrontational politics. The writer's detailed constitutional argument and reference to historical precedent demonstrate the sophisticated political reasoning within the League's ranks. The urgent follow-up telegram underscores the immediacy of the crisis and the central role of Jinnah's authority in resolving such conflicts. This document is significant for understanding the operational challenges during the transition period leading to Partition. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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