Pakistan Historical Society

Pakistan Historical Society

Following the achievement of Pakistan it was keenly felt that there was an urgent need for developing institutions for pioneering higher academic research, writing and compiling of text books etc., particularly in history which suffered from Orientalist and anti- Muslim slant in the pre-1947 period. Mr. Fazal ur Rahman the Federal Education Minister took the lead and on his initiative at first a Board of History was created in 1949 which next year was converted in to a regularly registered organization named Pakistan Historical Society (1950) based in Karachi.

The Pakistan Historical Society (PHS) was established to conduct research in history, collect basic source material for a specialized fully equipped library, publish books, hold conferences; seminars etc. and also publish a journal.        

The Society held the first all Pakistan History Conference in 1951 at Karachi comprising all the leading historians and scholars. It was inaugurated by the Governor General, Khawaja Nazimudin. Since then PHS has organized 20 such conferences in various universities and cities of Pakistan. The 19^th was held as the Golden Jubilee Session in Oct. 2001 at Karachi.

Research and publication programs also continued at the same time and so far it has published   86 books monographs, source books in English, Persian and Urdu.

Some of them are:

1. History of freedom movement                                  (4 vols.) English

2. War of Independence 1857                                       English

3. Islamic Thought and Movement                               English

4. Administration of the Sultanate                                English

of Delhi

5. Wafayat al- a yan of Ibn Khalikan’s                         (8vols.)Improved and revised

Biographical Dictionary.                                           English translation.

6. Tabaqat Ibn Sa d                                                       (2 vols.) English

7. Muhammad (S.A.W) Life & Times              Winner of the Best book Award on

                                                                                  Sira in 1998.  

8. Road to Pakistan (vol.1)                                Winner of Best book award.

(712-1858)

9. Dhakhirat al- Khawanin                                (3 vol. Persian)

10. Dhakhirat al- Umara (of Keval Ram)                        (2 vols.) Persian.

11. Tazkirah Ulema- Hind                                   Urdu translation

(1961&2004 New revised edition)              

The Society’s journal was first published in 1953 and since then it has been coming out regularly and is regarded as one of the leading journal’s on History, particularly South Asian History. It has also completed 50 years of its publication which was marked by a special issue, the Quaid- i- Azam number (2002) which won general acclaim. Its 53^rd Volume I being published this year.

However, the PHS had passed through many phases. It lacks a permanent Office or building. It also used to receive a grant up to 2003 from Federal government   but there were times like past year (2004) when it received no help. At this juncture the Hamdard Foundation of Pakistan under the inspiring leadership of Hakim Muhammad Said Saheed and now under the patronage of Mrs. Sadia Rashid a worthy daughter of a worthy father provides the much needed support by housing the office and Library of the PHS at Bait al-Hikmah, providing financial help and also taking over the responsibility for publication of the journal. The last three conferences of the PHS were also fully sponsored by them and their patronage is also greatly responsible for holding the present one.

At present PHS is in the process of publishing besides the journal , The Mathnavi Mubin  by emperor  Babur in Turkish with Urdu ,English translation .The old Volume of Tabqat Ibn Sa‘d (Companins of Badar) in English ,Index of the journal, Proceedings of the 20^th Pakistan History Conference, Special issue of the journal on the All India Muslim League and a two day Seminar in Pakistan Movement.

Quaid e Azam and Today's Pakistan , are we devided on vision of our Founder ?

A  Discussion  by Prof. Shareef al Mujahid and  Farooq Haider Moadudi ( son of Moalana Moadudi)

on a Talk Show Front Line with Kamran Shahid , Express TV on 08-01-2011 

The Founder of Pakistan and Today's Pakistan

Venice, 25th December 2010.

Today across the world our Christian brethren are celebrating the Christmas and Pakistan is celebrating the birth of its founder  Muhammad Ali Jinnah .  As a common Pakistani and student i often think that why  Jinnah  is remembered? , because of  being just the founder of Pakistan ? or because of his whole chracter as father of nation and his  speeches he left behind ? . I have no doubt that  Jinnah is remembered ceremonial ,  just as a founder of Pakistan and  less for his principles and speeches and  we as a nation only repeat him  on his birth or death anniversary and rarely one had tried to adopt his words as a principles . 

 Jinnah has been regarded by different  school of thoughts as per thier aspirations and agenda. From India with love on one hand he has been praised by Jaswant Singh and on other hand Ramjeth Malani , then a senior advocate remembered him,  who did not joined an Hindu Law firm at Karachi  just because of 25 rupees as Jinnah was demanding 100 rupees per month while the Law firm offered him 75 rupees Salary. He added  , Jinnah did not created Pakistan , It were Hindu Miser who did not pay hi more 25 rupees and caused the creation of Pakistan.

Mr. Malani is infact missunderstood because Quaide e azam   wanted a pakistan that gives the way to Muslims of India to live thier own life based on their culture and religion. He made it clear that Muslims of India can not be defined as minority and united india was an unpracticle and impossible idea. From the first day Jinnah vowed  for cordial relationship with our immediate  neighbours and pointed out  " We have no ambition beyond the desires , to live honourably and let others live honourably."

Our present  politicians  just use the name of  Jinnah more than following his lessons . Last week Marvi Memon facing a  questions in a talk show Dunya Today shamelessly replied about their party , In fact we are the party of Quaid e Azam  . One would ask her to give a single example from her leadership that match even a single world with Jinnah .

One thing is very clear , Quaid e azam never wanted such Pakistan as its today. He left a Pakisan that sposed to  live with honour  and let others live with honour , but iam afraid our  politicians and establishment will leave no stone unturned to justify Mr. Abul Kalam Azad who was having different version for the separate land for Muslims at the end of British tyrannies.

 Today how  many people  Know about  Jinnah  in Pakistan , I  belive every one in  and i am not agree with the report shown in  a talk show in which many students can be seen  admiting being unaware about Quaid e Azam . It may be happen perhapes  camera team  has itself requesed to students to talk about quaid e azam day  in this manner  for easing  thier task given by the  channel. It happens and they (channels) know better than any one else.

Today's Pakistan  is a country left by Jinnah but perhapes never desired by him , we made Jinnah wrong for his  every desire and word he said about  his dream .We went into the class system since right from his death  specially feudal class .  These people  who send thier childrens to Oxford  but  could not even provide a  primary school in thier villages and  if there were  , these schools  have been conversted into  guest houses by these feudals. 

On every second day , news papes and channels talk about corruption in Pakistan , but rarely invastigated . Accountability bill has been waiting since two years for approval  in parliment and no one seems serious to come forward and speak .  we are living among those people ho happened to be on the key positions at government but never took pain to pay tax for this country . Not only politicians  Pakistan has always been the victim by some Arymy generals in terms of corruption , who considered to be bove the law and thus could never called by any court of justice for thier corruption.  We  could not get any answer for thier corruption whether its NLC scandle or  locomotives bought from china in Mushrraf regim. Some times prob is announced but its another attempt to hide facts from public.

Finally a large number of pakistani have been living abroad from decades and still many wishe to leave country  legally or illegally for green pasture . Once they come abroad they might be seen with bit importance by thier families but the  cost they  pay for thier  home sickness and  for being away from thier loved ones , nobody can imagin ,  though this is there own choice but who wants to be away from home if every thing is provided by state in terms of social security . In 2005 Foreign Secretary Riaz Muhammad Khan has answered at the senate boody meeting  that majority of Pakistanis arrested in European countries preferred to remain in jails instead of returning to their country in the hope of a better life there.