We Shall Not Be Cowed Speech at a Public Meeting at Mirpur Khas, February 18, 1968

I am extremely grateful to you for having taken so much trouble on this rainy day to attend this public meeting in the open.

I am told you very much wanted me to come here and speak to you. So I am here with you today. But my dear brothers, I too was planning to visit Mirpur Khas and meeting you. And I shall, Insha Allah, come again to visit you.

In my series of tours, I have so far visited quite a number of areas of the Punjab. We were enthusiastically welcomed wherever we went. We visited each and every place that came our way, and the response was very good. You may have heard about the Government’s attempts to disrupt our meetings; they thought we would be frightened by ‘goondaism’. But we will never get frightened. We will never be browbeaten by violence. We have resolutely raised the flag of our party, and have openly come forward. We will keep on moving ahead, and will never retreat.

It is said, ‘How can Zulfikar Ali Bhutto oppose this Government when he himself was associated with it for eight years?’ The Ministers who keep coming to you every now and then, and wasting your time on matters that concern you least, have been harping on the same tune. I have named them “good for nothings.” They get no respect whatsoever. Even Government officials don’t respect them. And why should they when Ministers are appointed on the recommendations of Commissioners? Honestly, we have never heard them talking sense. They have never said anything new. Their statements are published only in those newspapers which are their special preserves. There is virtually no newspaper for the opposition. Even the TV is for those in authority. Efforts are made to disrupt our meetings, but they themselves have meeting at any time or place they like, although they have nothing to say about the progress and welfare of the country and the people.

They say the Basic Democracies system has been successful and that there is praise all over for the democracy which is said to be in force here. They also claim that the country has made tremendous progress. So they call for strengthening the hands of this Government.

Why should a Government need to be strengthened when it has the money, the police, the official employees and everything at its disposal? This Government has the capacity of bribing and being bribed. It has a big stick in its hands. It has the keys to all the prisons. This Government has proved to be an anti-people government. But it still keeps on calling upon others to strengthen its hands. Why after all should this Government be strengthened? Does it not mean the Government itself realizes it has become weak, otherwise it would not make such puerile appeals for strengthening its hands? A government having no support from the people can never be strong.

As you see, corruption is on the increase in the country. While it is said corruption will be uprooted, we see big, influential people being spared even after they are caught taking bribes. However, all they can do to end corruption is by apprehending and arresting Sub-Inspectors. Subedars or beating up Patwaris, only because they are poor. Big officials, like Inspectors-General or their deputies remain safe, and they go on building houses. It is only the poor who would bear the brunt. Even anti-corruption measures begin and end with the poor. This is how they plan to end corruption! They would not touch big officers. These sahibs wouldn’t be touched because it is they who take decisions about the Basic Democracies’ elections. They are spared, because it was with their collusion that the Basic Democracies’ ballot boxes were filled with pro-Government votes. They know that this Government will take no action against them. And that makes them arrogant and cruel. They have no consideration for the people.

The Basic Democracies, the so-called democratic system, have nothing democratic in them. In fact this country has been bequeathed to the 80,000 Brahmins who are enemies of the people. The Basic Democracies system has increased corruption, and widened the gulf between the people and the Government. We separated from Hindu India only because we wanted equality under Islam. We left the Brahmins and made Pakistan. But the Government has virtually again imposed Brahminism on us in the name of Basic Democracies. We are, however, determined not to rest until we banish this Brahminism.

I am accused of opposing a Government in which I have myself been for eight years. My dear brothers on my leaving the Government it was said I did so because I was unwell and that I was proceeding on 3 months’ leave. Well, I am a human being and human beings can fall ill: they can even die. But when I left the Government, I was not ill, nor am I now. You had, in fact, been misled then. It was a big lie. As a matter of fact, this Government has forgotten what truth is. Every news item and statement issued is a lie. What a big lie it was to say I had suddenly fallen ill. I was, in fact, hale and hearty. You will remember that no less a person than the President himself said I was ill. I was not ill. There were some differences, basic differences relating to the integrity of Pakistan. So. I left this Government.

I was neither ill nor was there hatred against me among the people. Why then did I feel the need to leave this Government, particularly when there were no allegations against me? The only thing was that I had some basic differences with the Government. You would indeed wish me to throw some light on those differences, but then everything has to be said at the proper time. I have had enough of patience. I have been through many difficulties. I have been quiet despite continued false propaganda against me. But if the Government does not stop telling lies, I will be forced to disclose the facts. I don’t want to say anything at this moment. Let the proper time come.

It is our own country, our own land. Our future generations have to live here. We have to think of them. We have to build this country of ours. We love this country. It is our homeland. We have to serve it and we will continue to serve it till the last.

We will not betray our motherland and run away to some other country. So when it is in the national interest to say something, I will do so, and will ask for your opinion. Because it is the people alone who have the right to give judgements on such issues. Only the 100 million Pakistanis have to take decisions on fundamental issues. You have to decide about the economic policy of the country as well as about what type of democracy is wanted here.

There is no use in five or six leaders giving us a system, of this type or that. That is why these problems have not so far been solved. The reason why there has been criticism is because the people have never been consulted.

While the founder of this country, the Quaid-i-Azam, is on record as having recommended a socialist system for Pakistan, just as the Poet of the East, Allama Iqbal, had described this system as the best means of bringing about prosperity, then who are these persons who criticize this system?

Islam is our religion for which we will even sacrifice our lives. Our party will offer sacrifices for the promotion of Islam not only in Pakistan but anywhere in the world. Pakistan came into being for the promotion of Islam. We are all genuinely proud of being Muslims.

These days one also reads statements to the effect that Kashmir is a complicated issue that cannot be solved. Twenty years have passed already. And now it is said that the issue should be settled through arbitration. What after all do they mean by arbitration? The issue is that of self-determination. There can be no arbitration on the right of self-determination. What else does it mean except a division?

Since everybody here is after division and distribution, they want to divide Kashmir too. But I must warn them that Kashmir is not meant for distribution. It wouldn’t be an easy thing. It is only you, the people, who can accept arbitration. But they say Kashmir is such a tricky problem it can never be solved. Well, they also say corruption has spread so much that it cannot be checked. All this may really be difficult for them to do. Well, then, if they find these problems to be difficult I would say to them that they leave the Government. Allow us to come in, and we will show you how to solve these problems. If you have become bored, if you are tired of doing things, you had better set out of the Government and let someone else come in, someone who has the courage to face India, who can eliminate corruption. They say nothing can be done in these circumstances, no progress can be made. Why should it be so? Why can’t there be progress while other countries have been making progress? Why is it that they can’t do anything while in other countries justice is administered despite the fact that there are problems? This Government will do nothing for the welfare of the people because it has never been interested in them. It only knows how to breed capitalists and make money.

However, they have been able to do one thing. They have locked up the poor in jails. Well, let them put me in jail if they have the courage to do so. I have only been criticizing the Government. I have not used harsh language. It knows what I am saying. But what have these poor people done to the Government? It has been beating and torturing them. Let the Government face us if it so wishes. We have no police at our command. We do not have as much money as they have. We have no official employees. We have nothing except the people. We have principles. So, we can face the Government and we can defeat it.

You may go anywhere in the country you like and there you will see hatred increasing against the Government; among the ‘Muhajirs’ in Karachi particularly. Just now some settlers came to tell me that their demands had not yet been accepted.

The people of Karachi are not happy. They have complaints against the Government. And you know that the people in Sindh too are not happy So is the case with the people of the Punjab, NWFP and Baluchistan Hatred everywhere! In East Pakistan, circumstances are extremely serious. Have you really seen prosperity anywhere? If the Government thinks that officials are with them, they are mistaken. The officials too are miserable.

The Government is mistaken if it thinks it has the support of the Mirs, Pirs, the Khan Sahibs or the Khan Bahadurs of this or other areas. The Khan Bahadurs and Khan Sahihs of this particular area had supported Miss Jinnah against Ayub. Perhaps, the Government has gone blind, or is just not able to reckon with facts.

I must explain what is wrong. No one is a disruptionist. We are not disruptionists. Why should we be disruptionists? We love this country. We have to serve this country. The Government itself is disruptionist. It has spread violence and disruption everywhere.

Why should we mislead anyone, particularly the students who are our hope and our future? The Government has the control of newspapers, radio and television. If it has not been able to mislead the students despite the use of these media, how would we be able to do that? The students are however against the Government because the Government itself has lost them. They have become sick of its policies.

After all what was the need for the University Ordinance which amounts to robbing the students of education and knowledge? Depriving a student of his degree is unheard of, knowledge cannot be taken away. The Government has itself made them its opponents. It has estranged the poor people, the labourers and peasants because of its wrong policies. All of them would have supported the Government had it followed correct policies. The people do not care for the Government, because the Government cares little for them.

The Government is mistaken if it thinks it can crush the people through its Basic Democracies system. It is virtually nearing its end. The people need not feel frightened of anything anymore. Why should you be afraid of anything at all? What wrong have you done? And, after all, there is always a limit to violence and oppression. Don’t think it is a big task to confront the Government. But it is not a question of confrontation alone. It is a question of your demands. Your rights must be restored to you. Why were you deprived of your constitutional and fundamental rights? It is two years now since the 1965 war ended followed by the Tashkent Declaration. But despite this, the Defence of Pakistan Rules are still in force. What is the justification?

The Government has, on the one hand, signed the Tashkent Declaration and, on the other, has enforced the Defence of Pakistan Rules. It has compromised with the enemy through the Declaration. Is it at war with its own citizens that it feels the need for the Defence of Pakistan Rules?

It is argued Pakistan cannot fight against India because she has big ordnance factories, that she is now manufacturing her own tanks and aircraft; that she is a big country.

I would like to say to these people: Don’t show us the map of India. We don’t feel the need to see it. We have already seen it. Not only have we seen India’s map but her heart as well. If decisions were to be made on the basis of an oppressor’s strength, then there would have been no struggles in the world at all. The Americans could have told the Vietnamese that it had so many tanks and aircraft, so the matter would have ended. But it is truth and justice that always triumph. It is inevitable that we win because Pakistan has a just cause. The poor people of Pakistan need not be disappointed. They are brave people. And I am sure they are not easily disappointed.

The Government should rather encourage such people. But how can it encourage the poor people? It is too busy in serving and encouraging the capitalists. That is why the economic conditions have been deteriorating day by day. The poor man’s lot has deteriorated so much that he can no longer tolerate further miseries. It is argued that the people should stop giving bribes. How can a poor man ones bribes? He has virtually nothing to eat or educate his children with. It is the rich who are corrupt.

Corruption cannot be ended the way Government wants to end it, We tell you how to end it. Just keep your hands clean. This is the only way it can be eliminated.

My dear brothers, it is in view of these vices that the need has been felt to form a new party. It will be a fearless party. It wouldn’t sit calmly because of fear. It will serve you. It has given you a manifesto. You can well argue that all political parties have been making such promises in the past. You can say that everyone in the past has been promising to serve the poor and eliminate poverty. But I want to assure you that there is a lot of difference between the past politicians’ promises and our manifesto. We have not only made promises but we have also presented to you the ways and means of attaining our objectives which are mentioned in our manifesto. It has never been done before in our politics. No party has ever announced its promises in writing and made itself answerable to the people.

Our party is hardly four months old. And in this short period it has achieved more than what it expected. Many branches have been set up in both East and West Pakistan. The poor masses have been with us everywhere. The laborers have supported us, for we have to serve them. The peasants are with us, because we have to work for them. The students are our supporters because we have to plead their cause.

On my part I assure you that we will spare no effort to serve all of you. We have the support of the students. We have the support of the laborers, workers, peasants—of all sections of society. We had their full support wherever we went. As I have said before, the poor government officials have also supported us. And all this shows that the whole country supports us. So with the blessings of the Almighty and your cooperation, we will certainly succeed.

I will, therefore, request you to strengthen the poor people, through the party for it represents them; it belongs to you all. They can arrest individuals, hundreds and thousands of them. But they cannot put the whole party in jail. Ideas and ideologies cannot be chained. You cannot arrest justice and equality. You can arrest the leaders of this party, but not its ideas. The arrest of its leaders will help further arouse the people’s consciousness. The workers’ detention will further step up party work.

So don’t be disappointed, my friends; you are a brave nation and you have now pledged to enforce the system of ‘Musawat’ to improve the poor people’s lot, to eliminate poverty. We have no personal grudge against anyone. This party is nobody’s personal estate. It is a question of national welfare, the welfare of 100 million Pakistanis. Therefore, don’t think we have been struggling against personalities. Given your good wishes, success will be ours.