The Riots of 1953 — Page 16
16 17. In order to secure a foothold in the Government the Ahrari Maulvis concentrated on forcing the Government to declare that Pakistan should be a Theocratic State. The idea underlying this move was that once such declarations was made, the n by the right that they alone could interpret religion correctly, they could acquire great power and the Government would be at their tender mercy. For sometime therefore without disclosing the inner working of their mind the Maulvis were trying to look innocent in pressing the demand that since Pakistan was established for the preservation of Muslim culture the pattern of the Government must be purely Islamic. The Jamaat-i-Islami whose method of working was more subtle than that of the Ahrar took the lead in this matter. 31 18. It will also be pertinent as this stage to give a brief history of the Jamaat-i-Islami which may be relevant for the purposes of this inquiry. This Jamaat was set up in the year 1941 32 and its leader Maulana Abul Aala Maududi claimed to represent the correct Islamic ideology and to working towards its realization. Its significance, however, lay in that the Maulana had opposed 33 the formation of Pakistan as advocated by the Muslim League. It can be safely asserted that in the establishment of Pakistan there was complete frustration for this party and its leader. However, when Pakistan became a reality its leader realised that he could now direct his activities against the Muslim League Government on religious basis and set himself to it. He had opposed the Muslim League leadership before partition on religious grounds and when the Qaid-i-Azam succeeded in getting a home for the Muslims 31 “Why these arrests”, page 6. 32 Roadad Jamaat-i-Islami, Part I. 33 Tarjumanul Quran, Feb. 1946, pp. 158,159