What led to the passing of the Pakistan Resolution in March 1940?

1. Jinnah and his Muslim League were very happy over the Congress ministries resignation in November 1939. They celebrated December 22,1939, as a day of deliverance from the Congress rule. The Muslim League also asked the British Government to examine afresh the entire constitutional problem of India. Besides, it demanded a commitment from the government that it will not make any declaration regarding the future constitution of India without the consent of the Muslim League leaders.

2.    The League organised its session at Lahore in March 1940. It was presided over by M.A.Jinnah. Addressing his followers, Jinnah said that the Hindus and the Muslims were “two distinct nations and that their interest were not common.”

3.    However, what was most disturbing was the Pakistan Resolution. It was adopted as a solution to the communal problem by the Muslim League under M.A. Jinnah’s presidentship on March 23, 1940. This resolution demanded a sovereign and independent Pakistan for the Muslims. According to it, all the Muslim majority areas in the North-Western and North-Eastern regions of India would form Pakistan. These areas were North-West Frontier Province, Sind, Baluchistan, Punjab and Bengal.

4.    Almost a decade ago (December 29,1930) similar views had been echoes by Muhammed Iqbal at the All India Muslim League Conference at Allahabad. He had declared that the solution to the communal problem lay in the amalgamation of Punjab, Sind, North-West Frontier Province and Baluchistan into a single Muslim state. Some Muslims studying at Cambridge (England) had also been attacked by the idea of a Muslim state. Their leader was Rehmat Ali. He had prepared a plan for the establishment of Pakistan as early as in 1933.