| I, Abdul Aziz Shura, known as Aziz Kashmiri, editor
of the daily Roshni, Srinagar, Kashmir, make
the following declaration under oath:- A delegation
of the Kashmir Press Conference, Srinagar, which included
several leading newspaper men, met Quaid-i-Azam
Muhammad Ali Jinnah, President of the Muslim League,
at his appointed time, on 23 May 1944 at 11 a.m.,
at ‘Koshik’, Nishat, Srinagar, and asked
various questions.
I asked Quaid-i-Azam, Who can join the All-India
Muslim League? At this, Mr. M.A. Sabir, editor of al-Barq,
told the Quaid-i-Azam that the background to the
question was probably that in Kashmir Ahmadis were not
allowed to join the Muslim Conference. Quaid-i-Azam
smiled and recorded his reply as follows:
“I have been asked a disturbing question,
as to who among the Muslims can be a member of the
Muslim Conference. It has been asked with particular
reference to the Qadianis. My reply is that, as far
as the constitution of the All-India Muslim League
is concerned, it stipulates that any Muslim, without
distinction of creed or sect, can become a member,
provided he accepts the views, policy and programme
of the Muslim League, signs the form of membership
and pays the subscription. I appeal to the Muslims
of Jammu and Kashmir not to raise sectarian questions,
but instead to unite on one platform under one banner.
In this lies the welfare of the Muslims. In this way,
not only can Muslims make political and social progress
effectively, but so can other communities, and so
also can the state of Kashmir as a whole.”
Mr. M.A. Sabir tried as hard as he could to persuade the
Quaid-i-Azam to declare Qadianis as being out
of the fold of Islam. But the Quaid-i-Azam stuck
resolutely to his principle and kept on replying: “What
right I have to declare a person non-Muslim, when he
claims to be a Muslim”.
The proceedings of this Press Conference were published,
under my signature, in the Riyasati of that
time and the Lahore newspapers, especially Inqilab,
Shahbaz, Zamindar, Siyasat etc. |
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