Two-Nation Theory and genesis of Pakistan

IN South Asia, the rise of Muslim political consciousness and the creation of Pakistan reflected a prolonged constitutional and political struggle led by Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The demand for Pakistan was rooted in the belief that the Muslims of British India constituted a distinct political community whose cultural, religious, and political interests required constitutional protection and effective political representation. Pakistan’s national identity has consequently remained closely associated with the ideas that formed the raison d’être for the Pakistan Movement. Its history offers lessons that can be learnt from significant events, most notably the political crisis of 1971,…