1940s
However, The Unionists grew closer to the All India Muslim League in the early 1940s. Sir Sikandar was one of the movers of the Pakistan Resolution that was passed in Lahore, on 23 March 1940, calling for an autonomous Muslim state or region within a larger Indian confederation; this developed into the demand for an independent Pakistan. After Sir Sikandar's death in 1942, Sir Chhotu Ram was invited to be the premier, but he declined in favour of Sir Malik Khizar Hayat Tiwana.
The Unionist Party under Khizar Hyat could not match Sir Sikandar's popularity, and with the increasing popularity and influence of Jinnah, the Party waned. Although it struggled on, under Sir Khizar from late-1942 to 1946, the writing was very much on the wall.
Read more about this topic: Unionist Party (Punjab)