| "I, Abdul Aziz Shura, known as Aziz Kashmiri, editor
of the daily Roshni, Srinagar, Kashmir, make the
following declaration under oath.
A delegation of the Kashmir Press Conference, Srinagar,
which included several leading newspaper men, met Quaid-i-Azam
Muhammad Ali Jinnah, President of the Muslim League, at
his appointed time, on 23 May 1944 at 11 a.m., at 'Koshik',
Nishat, Srinagar, and asked various questions.
I asked Quaid-i-Azam, Who can join the All-India
Muslim League? At this, Mr. M.A. Sabir, editor of al-Barq,
told the Quaid-i-Azam that the background to the
question was probably that in Kashmir Ahmadis were not
allowed to join the Muslim Conference. Quaid-i-Azam
smiled and recorded his reply as follows:
'I have been asked a disturbing question, as
to who among the Muslims can be a member of the Muslim
Conference. It has been asked with particular reference
to the Qadianis. My reply is that, as far as the constitution
of the All-India Muslim League is concerned, it stipulates
that any Muslim, without distinction of creed or sect,
can become a member, provided he accepts the views, policy
and programme of the Muslim League, signs the form of
membership and pays the subscription. I appeal to the
Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir not to raise sectarian questions,
but instead to unite on one platform under one banner.
In this lies the welfare of the Muslims. In this way,
not only can Muslims make political and social progress
effectively, but so can other communities, and so also
can the state of Kashmir as a whole.'
Mr. M.A. Sabir tried as hard as he could to persuade the
Quaid-i-Azam to declare Qadianis as being out of
the fold of Islam. But the Quaid-i-Azam stuck resolutely
to his principle and kept on replying: 'What right have
I to declare a person non-Muslim, when he claims to be a
Muslim'.
The proceedings of this Press Conference were published,
under my signature, in the Riyasati of that time
and the Lahore newspapers, especially Inqilab, Shahbaz,
Zamindar, Siyasat etc."
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