The Reminiscences of Zafrulla Khan — Page 255
239 REMINISCENCES OF SIR MUHAMMAD ZAFRULLA KHAN I wonder if you would like to talk about them briefly. This is obviously a subject which the Munir Report has two volumes about, and you probably just want to give your own impressions, but I think they'd be very interesting for the record. Zafrulla : There is really nothing that I can add to the excellent report of the Munir Inquiring Committee. Perhaps I might emphasize that the responsibility, though later shared by certain other groups also, was initially that of the group known as the Ahrar. They had from time to time made themselves thoroughly unpopular with the main Muslim body, before Partition as well as after Partition. It was well known that they had been opposed to the idea of Pakistan, so that when Pakistan came their stock was very, very low. They had previously made various efforts to bring themselves into active political leadership and it had become almost a pattern with them, that whenever they wanted to choose a target to rouse Muslim sympathy in their own favour or to win Muslim support, they picked upon something concerning the Ahmadiyya Movement, distorted it and proclaimed, "Here is a great danger for Islam and we are in the vanguard of the defence of Islam. " On this occasion, they were doing two things: one, they were gradually infiltrating into the Muslim League ranks. They had some very effective mob orators, and they began to take part in League elections at the district level. When there was any Muslim League election they would be invited or hired to come and deliver speeches, and this began to attract popular support. They were also looking for something on which they could start a general campaign to bring themselves into prominence. Later, certain other factions also joined them. The incident of which they took advantage was that there was an annual meeting of the Karachi branch of our movement, of which my younger brother was President. He was also holding a public office: I believe he was Deputy Custodian of Evacuee Property. He asked me whether I would come to the meeting and speak, and I said I would not mind. My speech was made, although a good deal of opposition had already been whipped up to my speaking at all. The subject and substance of my speech were largely non- controversial. I was not to speak on any doctrinal differences. It was on "Islam: the Living Faith. " But the occasion was considered ripe, I suppose, by the leadership of the opposing groups. It was not only the Ahrar by that time; certain other groups had also joined them. As a