Pakistan Affairs

Oct 14, 2018

In struggle for Pakistan, an important event was Khilafat Movement. Here is a brief background in this regard:

World War-1 ended by holding then allied forces (USA, France, USSR, UK) victor against the Turks and their entente including Austria and Germany. Though, the Muslims never wanted to fight against the Muslim Turks but the British Government had forced the Indians to take part in the war. Muslims from India did take a little part but after having attained assurances from the Britain that after the war is over and in case Turks fall; the holy places of Islam would not be damaged and the Khilafat would remain intact.

Dr. Wahid u Zaman better explains these demands as; “Muslims had demanded that; Mesopotamia (Iraq), Arabia, Syria and Palestine with the holy placed situated there in must always remain under the direct suzerainty (sovereignty of a kingdom in an empire) of the Caliph.”

After the defeat to the Turks, the allied forces started issuing statements which predicted their intentions to dismember the Ottoman Empire and distribute it among the victor states as was bounty. The Britain actually backed out from the promises they made to the Muslims of their giant Asian colony. This emerged as a cause of great concern for the Muslims of the world in general and those of Sub-Continent in particular for they fought against the Turks upon certain conditions that were now not being fulfilled. 

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