CONTENTMENT: THE SECRET TO SUCCESS

CONTENTMENT: THE SECRET TO SUCCESS I was fully responsible for the Kashmir operation. I went to Liaquat Ali Khan and suggested that we wouldn’t be able to drive out the Indian army from Kashmir with the help of tribal fighters. Even our regular army might not succeed in this mission. Therefore, we shouldn’t reject Patel’s offer. Nawabzada turned to me and said, ‘Sardar Sahib, do you think I’ve gone mad that I would give up the state of Hyderabad Deccan—which is bigger than Punjab—for the sake of Kashmir’s hills and valleys?’” When I saw the Prime Minister’s reaction, I was shocked to realize how unaware he was of the country’s geography. His judgment was so poor that he prioritized Hyderabad Deccan over Kashmir. This was like living in a fool’s paradise. The idea of gaining Hyderabad was just a fantasy, while Kashmir was practically coming to us on its own. He had no real understanding of how important Kashmir was to Pakistan. So, in protest, I resigned from overseeing the Kashmir operation. (Pages 231-232) This statement by Sardar Shaukat Hayat Khan is a clear example of the painful truth—that modern Muslim leaders fell into the trap described in that well-known saying. They couldn’t tell the difference between what was possible and what was not. They chased after what they could never get. As a result, they lost what they could have had—and the thing they ran after was never really within reach.