Pakistan and Modern World

Questions Answers

Q1. Briefly state the main reason given by Liaquat Ali Khan for the Muslim’s desire not to continue living in a united India.

Ans. The main reason given by Liaquat Ali Khan in his speech ‘Pakistan and the Modern World’ was the disproportionate number of the Muslims and the Hindus. In pre-partition India, there lived a hundred million Muslims and three hundred others—mostly Hindus. Therefore, freedom from the British would be virtually meaningless to Muslims because the higher number of Hindus would make the Muslims a perpetual (= permanent) political minority. Thus it would not be free but merely a change of masters.

Q2. What main differences does Liaquat Ali Khan point out between Muslim and Hindu beliefs and attitudes?

Ans. In his speech ‘Pakistan and the Modern World’, Liaquat Ali Khan points out three main differences between Muslim and Hindu beliefs and attitudes: religious, social, and economic. Discussing the religious differences, he says that Muslims were monotheists whereas Hindus were polytheists. Muslims believed not only in the Prophet of Arabia but also in Christ and the prophets of the Old Testament whereas Hindus did not. Discussing the social differences, he says that Hindus had a caste system whereas Muslims upheld gender and racial equality. Even priesthood is regarded as a negation of the bond between the Creator and each of His creatures. Similarly, the economic outlooks of Muslims and Hindus were greatly different. Unlike Hindus, Muslims believed in the right of private ownership, the law of inheritance, and distribution of wealth.

Q3. On what ground does Liaquat Ali Khan assert that the first duty of the Pakistanis as a free people is to themselves?

Ans. In his speech ‘Pakistan and the Modern World’, Liaquat Ali Khan quotes Charles Caleb Colton to explain that free people must maintain their own freedom first. Otherwise, a free nation, without constant vigilance, would disgrace the fair name of free men and women all over the world. To get the rightful place in the modern world, the Pakistanis must go forward at a double pace. They must use all the resources and energy they have to make available the basic necessities of life, health-care units, and education facilities. In other words, political freedom, without freedom from want, disease, and ignorance, has no real value for common men and women. Thus the first duty of the Pakistanis as a free people is to themselves.

Q4. What is the synthesis that Liaquat Ali Khan believes in necessary for Pakistan to achieve?

Ans. Synthesis means combining different things to form a coherent whole. The synthesis which Liaquat Ali Khan thinks necessary for Pakistan is the combination of our ancient steadfast faith with the pioneering virility of modern technology. In other words, we have clear-cut beliefs which provide us strength in modern uneasy times. However, we lagged behind in the match of civilization during the centuries of foreign domination. Now Pakistan must develop its mental and material resources not only for the sake of progress but also for the sake of world peace.

Q5. Liaquat Ali Khan contrasts two emotions that the Asian people tend to feel when they view they view the Western world. What are these two emotions?

Ans. In his speech ‘Pakistan and the Modern World’, the emotions Liaquat Ali Khan contrasts are admiration and impatience. He says that the Asian people have now entered upon a new and dynamic phase of nationalism after centuries of suppression. They are now able to see the great contrast between their standard of living and the standard of living in the West. One the one hand, they greatly admire the progress and advancement of civilization in the west. On the other hand, they are more impatient than ever before with their own misery and backwardness. They also want to enjoy the fullest advantages of freedom and democracy.

Q6. What advantage does he show the Hindus to have gained from the creation of Pakistan?

Ans. Liaquat Ali declared that from the freedom of Muslims Hindus also have the opportunities to practice their faith freely. They can develop their culture and stable their economy by giving full concentration without any interruption. They can also live easy and peaceful life in Asia.

Q7. ‘Our administrative machinery had to be built up from scratch’ what does this sentence mean?

Ans. This sentence means that when Pakistan came into being it had no flag, capital, military equipment, administration, and military. They were asked to build the country of eighty million people within two months. The share of Pakistan remained largely undelivered and they had to build up the country from the very beginning.

Q8. What does Liaquat Ali Khan state the real meaning of freedom, for the common man, to be?

Ans. Liaquat Ali Khan states that for a common man freedom mean freedom from wants, freedom from desires and freedom from ignorance. If a common man is free from these things he really feels the taste of freedom.

Q9. What is meaning by ‘syntheses?

Ans. Synthesis means the act of combining separate ideas, belief, and styles.

Q10. What does he put forward as the two main duties today of the Western world?

Ans. The two main duties of the Western world that Liaquat Ali Khan puts forward are that they should share their fund of knowledge, skills, and experience within developing countries. They should also play an active role in the maintenance of world peace.