The Punjab Muslim League: Campaign for Separate Electorates to Separate Country

Byline: Q. Abid and M. Abid In the beginning of twentieth Century, some eminent Punjabi Muslims like Justice Shah Din had been thinking in terms of creating a "Central political Organization for the Muslims".1 In February 1906, Mian Fazl-i-Husain established a Muslim association by the name of Muslim League.2 Sheikh Umar Baksh and Fazl-i- Husain were its president and secretary, respectively. Another eminent Punjabi Muslim, Sir Muhammad Shafi3 was also active in the same direction; he got into touch with Nawab Viqar-ul- Mulk and succeeded in creating a provincial Muslim League. From its start the P un jab M us l im L eagu e ( PM L) d ecl ared t h at it wo ul d d o it s best to p rot ect an d safeguard the Muslim rights.4 And the League created by Sir Shafi was recognized by the Central Muslim League as a branch of the All India Muslim League5 created in December 1906.