At the present critical juncture of our history when Pakistan is faced by unprecedented internal and external challenges some pseudo intellectuals including a couple of senior journalists have, in their wisdom, chosen this time to raise an academic discussion on the Ideology of Pakistan suggesting that Nazria-e-Pakistan was originated only in the late 60's or early 70's by certain vested interests. According to some of them, Quaid-i-Azam or Iqbal had never used terms like Ideology of Pakistan/Nazria-e-Pakistan, which has created many problems in the way of a harmonist relationship between India and Pakistan. They see no reason why India and Pakistan cannot forget the bitterness of the partition and live like good neighbours bound by mutually beneficial political and economic ties like the countries of the EU. Some have found fault even with many judgements of the Quaid before Independence in 1947 and also after becoming the Governor General of Pakistan. Iqbal has also been accused of not following a consistent policy on Indian Nationalism and a separate Muslim state. As a permanent solution of enduring peace in South Asia and putting an end to the 61 years old hostility, resulting in the present situation in the region, a confederation has been proposed between the two countries. In order to arrive at the truth, the best way is to go back in time. I am therefore starting with the Iqbal's presidential address at the historic 21st session of the All India Muslim League held at Allahabad on December 29-30, 1930. "Never in our history has Islam had to stand a greater trail, than the one which confronts it today. You are a Muslim assembly, and I suppose, anxious to remain true to the spirit and ideals of Islam. My sole desire, therefore, is to tell you frankly what I honestly believe to be the truth about the present situation. In this way alone is it possible for me to illuminate, according to my light, the avenues of your political action. The nature of the Prophet's (PBUH) religious experience, as disclosed in the Quran, however, is wholly different. It is not mere experience in the sense of a purely biological events, happening inside the experiment and necessitating no reaction on its social environment. The religious ideal of Islam, therefore, is organically related to the social order which it has created. India is a continent of human groups belonging to different races, speaking different languages, and professing different religions. Their behaviour is not at all determined by a common race-consciousness. Even the Hindus do not form a homogeneous group. The principle of European democracy cannot to applied to India without recognising the fact of communal groups." "Personally, I would go further than the demands embodied in it. I would like to see Punjab, NWFP, Sindh and Balochistan amalgamated into a single State-government within or without the British Empire, the formation of a consolidated Northwest Indian Muslim State appears to me to be the final destiny of the Muslims, at least of Northwest India." Thus Iqbal laid the foundation of the Ideology of Pakistan based on the Two Nation Theory in 1930. It was further crystallised in a letter written by Iqbal to Quaid from Lahore dated May 28, 1937: "It has been an article of faith with me for many years and I regard it as the best solution to resolve the problems of the Muslims of India today that unless an independent Muslim state or states are created in India it would not be possible to introduce Islami Sharia....If this is not made possible, the only other way out left would be civil war which is already taking place in the shape of Hindu Muslim riots in many parts of India....Time has come for you (Quaid-i-Azam) to formally put forward this demand. This demand, to my mind is the best answer to Jawaharlal's 'secular social democracy'. I hope that you will put across this issue in the next session of the All India Muslim League...it is only through your vision and statesmanship that the present complex situation can be resolved under your leadership." This provide more than ample justification for the Ideology of Pakistan in the words of not only the Quaid but the unanimous verdict of the leadership of Muslim India on the issues recently raised by certain circles regarding Nazria-e-Pakistan, the purpose of which is best left to the readers for their own judgement. The writer is the president of the Pakistan National Forum E-mail: ikramullah@nation.com.pk