Economic times: NEW DELHI: Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan’s founder and first Governor-General, declared August 15 as the country’s Independence Day but the authorities advanced it by a day in 1948 as it fell on an auspicious day of Ramzan.
“August 15 is the birthday of the independent and sovereign state of Pakistan. It marks the fulfilment of the destiny of the Muslim nation which made great sacrifices…,” Jinnah said in his first broadcast to the nation in 1947.
Pakistan decided to advance the Independence Day celebrations by a day in 1948 to August 14 as it coincided that year with Shab-e-Qadr or the 27th day of the holy month of Ramzan. This day is considered most special by the faithful and the night is spent in prayers.
In the years that followed, Pakistan continued to celebrate its Independence Day on August 14. The country celebrated its 67th Independence Day yesterday.
Yasser Latif Hamdani, a Lahore-based lawyer and author of “Jinnah: Myth and Reality”, told PTI: “Pakistan was to celebrate its Independence Day on August 15 but because of Shab-e-Qadr it was advanced by a day in 1948. However, it stuck to its mistake and continued to celebrate following Independence Days on August 14 too.”
Hamdani said it couldn’t have been Jinnah who changed the date to August 14, because by that date in 1948 he was already on his deathbed.
However, he insisted the change of date was deliberate as Pakistan was a new nation and needed to carve an identity.
Jinnah’s daughter Dina Wadia’s birthday too was on August 15.
Categories: Asia
It has become common to float strange stories about the Quaid-e-Azam, mostly originating from anti-Pakistan Muslim lobby in India but unfortunately also within Pakistan some leftist and religious organisations have started changing the history. Right from his origins, his religious association, his speech about the composition of the coming Pakistani society to why Pakistan was created, one can come across bizarre and unheard of nonsense.
Now we hear from an Indian Muslim this silly supposition because an unknown Pakistani lawyer ( a man who wrote; Jinnah – Myth and Reality) has claimed that Quaid wanted 15th August as the independence day for Pakistan.
My question is; so what. Pakistan is a reality, and it does not make a difference to Pakistanis, which day it was declared independent from the yoke of British Hindustan.
Pakistan has an identity – not a religious but cultural, geographical and linguistic. It will never be part of India no matter how much Mr. Alim and co wishes.
I would also like to ask, MT, what purpose does this silly story serves now after 66 years.