Pakistan Muslim League - Punjab offical
PML House, Davis Road,
Lahore
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The Muslim League has passed through three distinct phases in its history of almost one hundred years. The first phase began in December 1906, when Muslim leaders from all over the South Asian Subcontinent laid down the foundations of the All-India Muslim League (AIML) at Dhaka to provide a platform for the Indian Muslims to fight for the protection of their rights and interests. Its primary aim then was to secure separate electorates for the Muslims, for which it organized a systematic campaign both within the Subcontinent and in Britain . Its demand was accepted and incorporated in the Government of India Act of 1909. Once that objective was achieved, it moved to forge close relations with the Indian National Congress, which had opposed its demand for separate electorates. Among other motivating factors were the Muslim disappointment at the annulment of the Partition of Bengal (1911), and the British response to the Tripolitan and Balkan Wars, and Russian aggression in Iran . In 1912, the AIML changed its objectives; henceforth, it aimed at the "attainment of a system of self-government" through constitutional means. It was now in a position to negotiate with the Congress on equal terms. The negotiations that were conducted between the two parties culminated in the League-Congress Accord, known as the Lucknow Pact (1916), in which common demands for constitutional reforms were evolved. The principal architect of this Pact was Mohammad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948), who had joined the AIML in 1913. The Lucknow Pact endorsed the system of separate electorates for the Muslims, and introduced the principle of weightage, i.e. reservation of seats for the minorities more than their proportion in the population of a province warranted. The Government of India Act, 1919, incorporated these constitutional demands in a modified form.
After the break-up of Pakistan , the Muslim League led by Qayyum Khan allied with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that assumed power in (West) Pakistan . By 1973, the other two Muslim Leagues had merged into one party and elected Pir of Pagaro as the president. The PPP policies to control and suppress the opposition forced the PML (Pagaro Group) to join hands with the other opposition parties to form an alliance, the United Democratic Front (UDF), to oppose these policies. Subsequently, it formed an electoral alliance in cooperation with the other opposition parties, which was called the Pakistan National Alliance (PNA). This alliance contested the March 1977 elections against the PPP candidates. The PNA launched a countrywide popular movement in protest against the massive rigging in these elections. The PPP's delaying tactics in the negotiations with the PNA and the resultant deadlock led to another military takeover.
Pir of Pagaro cooperated with General Ziaul Haq's Martial Law regime while a small group of Muslim Leaguers led by Khwaja Khairuddin joined the opposition alliance, the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD). When Ziaul Haq held non-party elections in 1985, a majority of the Muslim Leaguers were elected in their individual capacity. Ziaul Haq nominated Mohammad Khan Junejo as the Prime Minister. Junejo revived the PML and was elected its president. A serious attempt was made to organise the party at the grassroots. But in mid-1988, Ziaul Haq dismissed Prime Minister Junejo. The PML was again split into two factions, the PML (Junejo Group) and PML (Fida Mohammad Group). The latter faction was supported by the then Punjab Chief Minister, Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, who was subsequently elected its President. This faction was then referred to as PML (N).
During 1988-1999, two political parties, the PPP under the leadership of Benazir Bhutto and the PML (N), wielded power in Pakistan . Each of the two parties was voted into office twice. But they did not let each other complete their terms in office. Once one was voted into office the other would immediately launch a campaign to dislodge it from power. There were no principles involved in this tussle. They would use every tactic and every institution including the Armed Forces against each other. Their mutual hostility hindered the development of a viable political system. The instability and uncertainty that this conflict created affected every institution and blocked economic development. The hope and expectations that the PML (N) landslide victory in the 1997 elections had generated were frustrated when in 1999 all the opposition parties united on a one-point agenda, removal of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from office. The military takeover was a natural consequence of this trend. The Supreme Court gave General Pervez Musharraf three years to hold general elections. The elections were held on time in October 2002, in which the PML emerged as a majority party.
The PML has entered a new phase of its history. It aspires to promote a culture of reconciliation and accommodation in politics. It has launched a massive campaign to organize itself at the grassroots. It plans to introduce reforms in the social, economic and other sectors of the society in order to bring about a real change in the life of the common man.
