On 24 March 1940, the Muslim League in its Lahore session passed a resolution to create Pakistan, in which it was said that-
'It is the firm view of this session of All India Muslim League that no legislative plan can be successful in this country and cannot be accepted by Muslims unless it is prepared on the following basic principles Caste:By joining geographically adjacent provinces (units) to form zones. These zones, with the necessary exchange of land, should be created in such a way that the areas in which the Muslim majority are numerically, such as in the north-western and eastern parts of India, are combined into independent states in which their constituent units are autonomous. and will be universal.'
The word Pakistan was not used in this Lahore-proposal of the Muslim League, but it is known as the Pakistan-Proposal. In this session, Jinnah said in his presidential speech-
'I want you to understand the importance of organizing yourself…… you cannot rely on anyone other than your inner strength. Depend on yourself. Build strength in yourself to protect your rights. …… No announcement should be made by the British Government regarding the future constitution of India without our consent……..
If any such declaration is made and an interim agreement is made without our approval and consent, then the Muslims of India will oppose it. …….
…..India's problem is not inter-caste but international. If the British government is interested in the happiness and prosperity of the people of this subcontinent, then the only option is to divide India into many states and give separate parts to the large nations here.
….. It is a dream that Hindus and Muslims in India will have a common nationality. These two sects are completely different. ……the present artificial unity is only a product of the British state…….The Muslims of India will not accept any such constitution in which the government of majority Hindus can be established. Muslims are not a minority community
……. They are a nation by every definition and they should have their own country, state and territory…..we cannot be deterred from our goal by intimidation…..'
Gandhiji reacted quickly to the Muslim League's Pakistan proposal. In Harijan of 30 March 1940, he wrote-
'Partition is an outright falsehood. My whole soul is against the idea that Hinduism and Islam represent two opposite cultures and principles. To believe in such a theory is to deny God to me. I believe with all my soul that the God of the Qur'an is also the God of the Gita. I oppose the idea that crores of Hindus changed their nationality after accepting Islam as their religion.'
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar said with sadness-
'The principle of two-nation will leave no room for the development of a sensitive desire for unity.' Will exist on both sides.'
Rejecting the reactions given by Hindu leaders, Muslim League leader Khalikuzzaman, who supported the Pakistan resolution in the Lahore session, said-
'If the issues between Hindus and Muslims are to be resolved by sword, then Muslims have no fear.
In May 1940, at the Bombay Regional Session of the Muslim League, Jinnah said-
'All India Muslim League has shown the right direction to the Muslims of India. He has been provided with a perfect programme, a policy, a platform and a flag
…… The Indian nation exists only in the mind of the Congress High Command. Our proposal is that Hindus and Muslims should live together as two respectable races, as good neighbours, and not as Hindu upper castes and Muslims as low castes in which the Hindu majority controls the Muslims. The plan of partition of India is not a communal but a solution to political problems because under this plan Hindus and Muslims will be able to get equal rights and places. '
Of. M. Munshi has written in his book Pilgrimage to Freedom that immediately after this the leaders of the Muslim League started revolting wherever they could. The rebellions of Dhaka, Ahmedabad, Bombay were even more fierce.
Jinnah said that the struggle for Pakistan was not with the British but with the Congress. In November 1940 Jinnah said-
'We want our independence from England. That is why we did not put obstacles in the way of England from the very beginning. Although Pakistan is the target of our boat, we did not put Pakistan's demand as a pre-condition for getting the support of the Government of England. We only wanted an assurance that the Government of England would not leave our side by making a permanent agreement with the Congress.'