Thread by @KamranShafi46

@MarianaBaabar Re: Your question of whether the Quaid would have gone towards the Soviets or America here are excerpts from his interview with Margaret Bourke-White a Life Magazine photojournalist in September '47: What plans did he have for the industrial development of the 2/

2/ country? Did he hope to enlist technical or financial assistance from America? "America needs Pakistan more than Pakistan needs America," was Jinnah's reply. "Pakistan is the pivot of the world, as we are placed" -- he revolved his long forefinger in bony circles -- "the 3/

3/ Frontier on which the future position of the world revolves." He leaned toward me, dropping his voice to a confidential note. "Russia," confided Mr. Jinnah, "is not so very far away."

This had a familiar ring. In Jinnah's mind this brave new nation had no other claim on 4/

4/American friendship than this - that across a wild tumble of roadless mountain ranges lay the land of the BoIsheviks. I wondered whether the Quaid-i-Azam considered his new state only as an armored buffer between opposing major powers. He was stressing America's military 5/

5/ interest in other parts of the world. "America is now awakened," he said with a satisfied smile. Since the United States was now bolstering up Greece and Turkey, she should be much more interested in pouring money and arms into Pakistan. "If Russia walks in here," he 6/

6/ concluded, "the whole world is menaced." In the weeks to come I was to hear the Quaid-i-Azam's thesis echoed by government officials throughout Pakistan. "Surely America will build up our army," they would say to me. "Surely America will give us loans to keep Russia from 7/

7/ walking in." But when I asked whether there were any signs of Russian infiltration, they would reply almost sadly, as though sorry not to be able to make more of the argument. "No, Russia has shown no signs of being interested in Pakistan."

This hope of tapping the U. S. 8/

8/ Treasury was voiced so persistently that one wondered whether the purpose was to bolster the world against Bolshevism or to bolster Pakistan's own uncertain position as a new political entity. Actually, I think, it was more nearly related to the even more significant 9/

9/ bankruptcy of ideas in the new Muslim state -- a nation drawing its spurious warmth from the embers of an antique religious fanaticism, fanned into a new blaze.

Jinnah's most frequently used technique in the struggle for his new nation had been the playing of opponent 10/

10/ against opponent. Evidently this technique was now to be extended into foreign policy. Ends. So, Mariana Bibi, you can see that the #GhairatBrigades 'doctrine' about Pakistan being the pivot of the World, and which has brought us so much pain and sorrow and heartbreak, 11/

11/ indeed due to which we lost half our country and countless thousands of lives to terror is not new! God help us! C.c. @mazdaki @GulBukhari @NasimZehra @JehangirJm @ZulfiRao1
Complete interview here: defence.pk/pdf/threads/in…