Mother of Nation - Fatima Jinnah

Fatima Jinnah (Urdu: فاطمہ جناح; July 30, 1893 — July 8, 1967) was the younger sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and an active political figure in the movement for independence from the British Raj. She is commonly known in Pakistan as Khātūn-e Pākistān (Urdu: — "Lady of Pakistan") and Māder-e Millat ("Mother of the Nation.") She was born in Karachi, (in the Sindh province of British India that later became part of Pakistan). She was an instrumental figure in the Pakistan movement and the primary organiser of the All India Muslim Women Students Federation. After the formation of Pakistan and the death of her brother, she remained an active member of the nation's politics. She continued to work for the welfare of the Pakistani people until she died in Karachi on July 8, 1967

Quaid's companion

M.A. Jinnah with Fatima Jinnah (left) and daughter Dina (right)

Jinnah lived with her brother until 1918, when he married Rattanbai Petit. Upon Rattanbai's death in February 1929, Jinnah closed her clinic, moved into her brother Muhammad Ali Jinnah's bungalow, and took charge of his house. This began the life-long companionship that lasted until her brother's death on September 11, 1948.

Paying tribute to his sister, Ali Jinnah once said, "My sister was like a bright ray of light and hope whenever I came back home and met her. Anxieties would have been much greater and my health much worse, but for the restraint imposed by her".

Presidential election 1965

Main article: Pakistani presidential election, 1965

Fatima Jinnah, popularly acclaimed as the Madar-i-Millat, or "Mother of the Nation" for her role in the Freedom Movement, contested the 1965 elections at the age of 71. Except for her brief tour to East Pakistan in 1954, she had not participated in politics since Independence. After the imposition of Martial Law by Ayub Khan, she once wished the regime well. But after the Martial Law was lifted, she sympathized with the opposition as she was strongly in favor of democratic ideals. Being the Quaid's sister, she was held in high esteem, and came to symbolize the democratic aspirations of the people. The electoral landscape changed when Fatima Jinnah decided to contest the elections for the President's office in 1965. She was challenging the incumbent President Ayub Khan in the indirect election, which Ayub Khan had himself instituted. Presidential candidates for the elections of 1965 were announced before commencement of the Basic Democracy elections, which was to constitute the Electoral College for the Presidential and Assembly elections. There were two major parties contesting the election. The Convention Muslim League and the Combined Opposition Parties. The Combined Opposition Parties consisted of five major opposition parties. It had a nine-point program, which included restoration of direct elections, adult franchise and democratization of the 1962 Constitution. The opposition parties of Combined Opposition Parties were not united and did not possess any unity of thought and action. They were unable to select presidential candidates from amongst themselves; therefore they selected Fatima Jinnah as their candidate.

Elections were held on January 2, 1965. There were four candidates; Ayub Khan, Fatima Jinnah and two obscure persons with no party affiliation. There was a short campaigning period of one month, which was further restricted to nine projection meetings that were organized by the Election Commission and were attended only by the members of the Electoral College and members of the press. The public was barred from attending the projection meetings, which would have enhanced Fatima Jinnah's image.

Ayub Khan had a great advantage over the rest of the candidates. The Second Amendment of the Constitution confirmed him as President till the election of his successor. Armed with the wide-ranging constitutional powers of a President, he exercised complete control over all governmental machinery during elections. He utilized the state facilities as head of state, not as the President of the Convention Muslim League or a presidential candidate, and didn't even hesitate to legislate on electoral maters. Bureaucracy and business, the two beneficiaries of the Ayub Khan regime, helped him in his election campaign. Being a political opportunist, he brought all the discontented elements together to support him; students were assured the revision of the University Ordinance and journalists the scrutiny of the Press Laws. Ayub Khan also gathered the support of the ulema who were of the view that Islam does not permit a woman to be the head of an Islamic state.

Fatima Jinnah's greatest advantage was that she was the sister of the Founder of Pakistan. She had detached herself from the political conflicts that had plagued Pakistan after the Founder's death. The sight of this dynamic lady moving in the streets of big cities, and even in the rural areas of a Muslim country, was both moving and unique. She proclaimed Ayub Khan to be a dictator. Jinnah's line of attack was that by coming to terms with the Republic of India on the Indus Water dispute, Ayub had surrendered control of the rivers over to India. Her campaign generated tremendous public enthusiasm. She drew enormous crowds in all cities of East and West Pakistan. The campaign however suffered from a number of drawbacks. An unfair and unequal election campaign, poor finances, and indirect elections through the Basic Democracy System were some of the basic problems she faced.

Fatima Jinnah lost the election of 1965 and Ayub Khan was elected as the President of Pakistan. It is believed that had the elections been held via direct ballot, Fatima Jinnah would have won. The Electoral College consisted of only 80,000 Basic Democrats, who were easily manipulated. The importance of this election lay in the fact that a woman was contesting the highest political office of the country. The orthodox religious political parties, including the Jamaat-i-Islami led by Maulana Maududi, which had repeatedly declared that a woman could not hold the highest office of a Muslim country, modified their stance and supported the candidature of Fatima Jinnah. The election showed that the people had no prejudice against women holding high offices, and they could be key players in politics of the country.

During a lawsuit, Matloobul Hassan Syed deposed that during Fatima Jinnah's election campaign against General Ayub Khan, when some local Shia leaders told her that they would vote for Ayub, she contended that she could represent them better as she was a Shia.^[1] According to Liaquat H. Merchant, "the Court was inclined to repose more trust in the avowed non-sectarian public stance of the Quaid and his sister".^[1] Both the Quaid and his sister "carefully avoided a sectarian label".^[1]

NATIONAL MONUMENT OF PAKISTAN

Bab-e-Pakistan

The Bab-e-Pakistan (Urdu: Gateway of Pakistan is a national monument in Lahore, Pakistan which is being built on the site of one of the major refugee camps which operated in the aftermath of Partition of India.^[1] The memorial was proposed in 1985, by the late military Governor of Punjab, Lieutenant General Ghulam Jillani and was approved immediately by the military president, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. The monument is designed by a Lahore based architect Amjad Mukhtar, who is a graduate from National College of Arts, Lahore. The project experienced some difficulty in getting started because of the unstable political situation following the death of Zia in 1988. A second attempt was made in 1991 with the support of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif but again the project was stalled.^[1] The third attempt has been during the administration of President Pervez Musharraf.^[2] Construction work has now started and is due to be completed by August 2009.^[3]

NAME: BAB-E-PAKISTAN
TYPE: Monument
CONSTRUCTION START: March 23, 2005
CONSTRUCTION END: September, 2007
LOCATION: Near Walton Road, Lahore
COST: Rs 400 million


The design of Bab-e-Pakistan would be reflective of national identity, Islamic history and the epic struggle of Muslims of the Sub-continent for the achievement of independence. The monument is being constructed at the place where the first refugee camp was set up at Walton in Lahore on August 14, 1947. Bab-e-Pakistan project would help us remember the sacrifice made by Muslims during Independence. the monument would be a masterpiece of Islamic architecture.


 

The concept of a national library is fairly understood, even though national libraries differ in size and scope from country to country. Speaking broadly national library is the library, which has the prime duty of collecting and preserving for posterity the written production of the country. It serves not only the top most information but a coordinating Force for all libraries. National library of Pakistan was inaugurated in August 24, 1993 by the caretaker prime minister of Pakistan Mr.Moin Ahmad Qureshi. The National library exchanges Government documents with USA; Pakistan National Bibliography with other national libraries of the world; serves as depository for Asian Development Bank publications;and provides information and photocopy service. The National library is a member of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA).

Five Pakistani students selected for Intel ISEF 

Islamabad:As many as five brilliant students from all over Pakistan were declared winners of the Intel National Science Fair, held earlier, at a lively event organised at the National Library of Pakistan here on Thursday.

The National Science Fair is affiliated with the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), which is one of the World’s largest pre-college science competitions. The National Fair had showcased 117 science projects, submitted by young scientists from all across the country, who qualified for a place in the Fair after rigorous competitions at district and provincial levels. The award winning students included Sheraz Munir of Pak-Turk International School & College, Khairpur for his project titled ‘Usage of Lolium sp. and Paspalum sp. to Decrease Lead Content Against Air Pollution’, Zain Shami of Headstart School, A-Level Branch, Islamabad for his project titled ‘Preparation of Black Ink from Fruit Arils of Pomegranate’ and a group comprising Amir Shahzad, Mohammad Sohail and Asad Shaheen from DA Degree College, Karachi for their project titled ‘Dyeing of Wool and Polyamide Substrates with Extracts of Natural Sources’.

The projects displayed at the National Science Fair were assessed by a panel of renowned judges for further selection in the upcoming Intel ISEF 2010 to be held in Reno in Nevada, USA.

Intel ISEF enables more than 1,500 young scientists from all across the globe to gather at a single platform to exchange ideas and knowledge, showcase cutting edge science, and compete for over US$4 million in awards and scholarships.

Minister of State for Education Ghulam Farid Kathia said the government is determined to improve the quality of education by promoting initiatives in areas of science and technology, and encourage easy access to computers by our youth in collaboration with leading organisations such as Intel Pakistan. “Every year, students are selected from Pakistan to participate in the Intel ISEF, which is held in the US, where hundreds of students from across the globe compete for scholarships and awards,” he said. The news

 

National Library of Pakistan

The National Library of Pakistan, is located at Constitution Avenue, Islamabad, Pakistan.

National library of Pakistan was inaugurated in August 24, 1993 by the caretaker prime minister of Pakistan Mr.Moin Ahmad Qureshi. The National library exchanges Government documents with USA, Pakistan National Bibliography with other national libraries of the world, serves as depository for Asian Development Bank publications and provides information and photocopy service. The National library is a member of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). The library serves not only the top most information but a coordinating force for all libraries. Over a short span of few years the library has acquired numerous collections through purchases, copyright deposits, gifts, exchanges, and donations.

• Books: 130,000 volumes.
• Manuscripts: 555 titles
• Microfilms: 45 Reels
• Microfiches: 48000 Cards
• Magazines: 845 titles
• Newspapers: 135 titles

These collections include 40100 Pakistani publications received under the provisions of the Copyright Law. Special collections include rare handwritten manuscripts in Persian language relating to History of Kashmir and first copy of Kulyat-e-Meer published in 1811 and microfilms/microfiches of all British India Census Reports for 1911, 1921, 1931 and 1941. The Library has also acquired copies of about 30 Ph.D. dissertations written in American universities on Pakistan.

The building was constructed at a plot measuring 500x 112ft,the National library building has a covered area of 168,800 sq.ft. On four floors. It is a centrally air conditioned/heated building with a capacity to accommodate one million volumes, 500 general readers seats, work area for staff, Auditorium and other services.

The National Library of Pakistan serves as cultural center of the capital. Library is intended to be a reference library for all purposes, a working place for scholars, Postgraduate students of social sciences and humanities and repository of national published literature for future historians.

 

NATIONAL JUICE OF PAKISTAN

National Juice - Sugar cane

Sugarcane juice is the national juice of Pakistan. It is called ‘raw’ locally. Pakistan grows quite a quantity of sugarcane and has a sugar industry as well. One can frequently see vendors selling ‘raw’ juice by road side or bus stops. 

 Sugar cane juice is the juice extracted from pressed sugarcane. It is consumed as a beverage worldwide, and especially in regions where sugarcane is commercially grown such as Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Latin America.

Evaporated cane juice is a loosely defined term which can include combinations of sugars including fructose, glucose and white sugar (sucrose). It is perceived to be less processed than white sugar, leading some to claim it is healthier.^[1] However, nutritional benefits are minimal; evaporated cane juice can contain trace amounts of vitamins and minerals but has the same amount of calories as table sugar^[2] and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration defines evaporated cane juice as any sweetener derived from sugar cane syrup,^[3] and therefore it might be heavily processed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that "evaporated cane juice" not be listed as an ingredient on food labels because it is not a commonly used name and does not meet the USDA definition of "juice".^[3]

NATIONAL DRESS OF PAKISTAN

National Dress – Shalwar Qameez

Shalwar Qameez is the national dress of Pakistan. People from all four provinces of Pakistan wear Shalwar Qameez which comes in many different styles, fabrics, colours and patterns. It is a dress worn on both casual and formal occasions owing to its comfortability. Women wear it along with Duppatta, which is essential cloth item for women in Pakistan.

Besides Shalwar Qameez, the Sherwani or Achkan is also the national dress of Pakistani men usually worn by government officials or head of states (usually in formal black colour) on state occasions.

National Dress

The national dress of Pakistan is Shalwar Qameez (Urdu) for both men and women. It consists of a long, loose fitting tunic with very baggy trousers. The dress is believed to be an amalgamation of the dresses worn by the ancient Turks, Persians and Afghans (Pashtuns) who have left their impression on the people and culture of Pakistan. The men's version consists of solid, masculine colours and is almost always accompanied by collar and buttons (similar to polo shirt). Men often wear an outer waistcoat over the shalwar kameez. The women's version almost never contains collar and buttons but is often embroidered and consists of feminine colors and may feature lace or flower patterns. In the summer, a light, cotton version is often worn, while during the winter, a heavier, wool version is worn. The sherwani or achkan with karakuli hat is the recommended dress for male government employees and officials, as it is not specifically associated with any of the provinces. Most male government officials wear the formal black sherwani on state occasions.

NATIONAL ANTHEM OF PAKISTAN

NATIONAL ANTHEM OF PAKISTAN

The national anthem of Pakistan or Qaumī Tarāna (Urdu: قومى ترانہ), is played during any event involving the hoisting of the flag, for example Republic Day (March 23) and Independence Day (August 14). The Constituent Assembly had not adopted a national anthem by the time Pakistan became independent, so when the flag was hoisted at the independence ceremony it was accompanied by the song, "Pakistan Zindabad, Azadi Paendabad". Muhammad Ali Jinnah asked a Lahore-based Hindu writer, Jagannath Azad, to write a national anthem for Pakistan.^[22] Jinnah may have done this to promote a more secular idealism for Pakistan.^[23] The anthem written by Azad was quickly approved by Jinnah, and it was played on Radio Pakistan.^[24] Azad's work remained as Pakistan’s national anthem for about eighteen months.

A National Anthem Committee was formed in 1948, but it had difficulty finding suitable music and lyrics. The impending state visit of the Shah of Iran in 1950, resulted in the hasty adoption of a three stanza composition by Ahmed Ghulamali Chagla. Initially it was performed without lyrics for the Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan on August 10, 1950^[25] and was approved for playing during the visit of the Shah. However, the anthem was not officially adopted until August 1954.^[25] The National Anthem Committee eventually approved lyrics written by Abu-Al-Asar Hafeez Jullandhuri and the new national anthem was first played properly on Radio Pakistan on August 13, 1954.^[26] Official approval was announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on August 16, 1954 followed by a performance of the national anthem in 1955 involving eleven major singers of Pakistan including Ahmad Rushdi.^[27]

National Anthem

The National Anthem of Pakistan was approved in August 1954. It is a three-stanza composition (with 5 lines each). The verses of the National Anthem of Pakistan were composed by Hafeez Jallundhri while the tune was composed by Ahmed G. Chagla.
The Anthem written in Persian (farsi) is evocative in spirit, praising Pakistan as the centre of faith and freedom, a land of beauty and strength drawn from the people and the country. The words touch upon the various features of national life with the invocation for the integrity of Pakistan. Following is the national anthem of Pakistan with its English translation.
Blessed be the sacred land
Happy be the bounteous realm
Symbol of high resolve
Land of Pakistan
Blessed be thou citadel of faith
The Order of this sacred land
Is the might of the brotherhood of the people
May the nation, the country, and the State
Shine in glory everlasting
Blessed be the goal of our ambition
This flag of the Crescent and Star
Leads the way to progress and perfection
Interpreter of our past, glory of our present,
Inspiration of our future,
Symbol of Almighty’s protection.

NATIONAL MOSQUE OF PAKISTAN

 

The Faisal Mosque (also known as Shah Faisal Masjid) is a very large and very unique mosque in Islamabad, completed in 1986. Designed by a Turkish architect who won an international competition for the honor, Faisal Mosque is shaped like a desert Bedouin's tent and functions as the national mosque of Pakistan.

History

King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia both suggested (in 1966) and largely funded the Faisal Mosque, which is named in his honor.

Ever since its conception, the mosque has been regarded as the national mosque of Pakistan, and as such it symbolizes the hopes and aspirations of the new nation.

The architect was Vedat Dalokay of Turkey, whose design was chosen in 1969 after an international competition. Constructed was completed in 1986.

What to See

The Faisal Mosque is located on an elevated area of land against a picturesque backdrop of the Margalla Hills. This enviable location represents the mosque's great importance and allows it to be seen from miles around day and night.

The mosque's architecture is strikingly modern and unique, lacking both the traditional domes and arches of most other mosques around the world.

The shape of the Faisal Mosque is an eight-sided concrete shell inspired by a desert Beduoin's tent and the cubic Ka'ba in Mecca, flanked by four unusual minarets inspired by Turkish architecture. The architect later explained his thinking to design school students:

I tried to capture the spirit, proportion and geometry of Kaaba in a purely abstract manner. Imagine the apex of each of the four minaret as a scaled explosion of four highest corners of Kaaba - thus an unseen Kaaba form is bounded by the minarets at the four corners in a proportion of height to baseShah Faisal Mosque akin to Kaaba.

Now, if you join the apex of each minaret to the base of the minaret diagonally opposite to it correspondingly, a four-sided pyramid shall be bound by these lines at the base side within that invisible cube. That lower level pyramid is treated as a solid body while four minarets with their apex complete the imaginary cube of Kaaba.

Entrance is from the east, where the prayer hall is fronted by a courtyard with porticoes. The International Islamic University was housed under the main courtyard, but recently relocated to a new campus. The mosque still houses a library, lecture hall, museum and cafe.

The interior of the main tent-shaped hall is covered in white marble and decorated with mosaics, calligraphy by the Pakistani artist Sadeqain, and a spectacular Turkish-style chandelier.

The prayer hall can accommodate 10,000 worshippers. (There is room for an additional 24,000 in the porticoes and 40,000 in the courtyard.)

The mausoleum of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, whose 1988 funeral at the site was the largest in the history of Pakistan, is located adjacent to the mosque. 

The Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad is the largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and one of the largest mosques in the world. The Faisal Mosque is named after the late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, who supported and financed the project. Faisal Mosque is conceived as the National Mosque of Pakistan. It is a popular Masjid in the Islamic world, and is renowned for both its immense size and its architecture.
It has a covered area of 5,000 m2 (54,000 sq ft) and has a capacity to accommodate approximately 300,000 worshippers (100,000 in its main prayer hall, courtyard and porticoes and another 200,000 in its adjoining grounds). Each of the Mosque's four minarets are 80 m (260 ft) high (the tallest minarets in South Asia) and measure 10 x 10 m in circumference.
The Faisal Mosque is the work of famous Turkish architect, Vedat Dalokay who won the Aga Khan Architectural Award with this project. The mosque's relatively unusual design fuses contemporary lines with the more traditional look of an Arab Bedouin's tent, with its large triangular prayer hall and four minarets. However, unlike traditional masjid design, it lacks a dome. 
The minarets borrow their design from Turkish tradition and are thin and pencil like. The interior of this prayer hall holds a very large chandelier and its walls are decorated with mosaics and calligraphy by the famous Pakistani artist Sadequain. The mosaic pattern adorns the west wall, and has the kalimah writtern in early Kufic script, repeated in mirror image pattern.

NATIONAL TREE OF PAKISTAN

Deodar
National tree of Pakistan

Deodar or Himalayan Cedar (Cedrus Deodara) is the National tree of Pakistan. It is a species of cedar native to the western Himalaya in eastern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, Kashmir, Tibet and western Nepal, occurring at 1500-3200 m altitude. It is a large evergreen coniferous tree reaching 40-50 m tall, exceptionally 60 m, with a trunk up to 3 m diameter. It has a conic crown with level branches and drooping branchlets. The leaves are needle-like, mostly 2.5-5 cm long, occasionally up to 7 cm long, slender (1 mm thick), borne singly on long shoots, and in dense clusters of 20-30 on short shoots; they vary from bright green to glaucous blue-green in colour. The female cones are barrel-shaped, 7-13 cm long and 5-8 cm broad, and disintegrate when mature (in 12 months) to release the winged seeds. The male cones are 4-6 cm long, and shed their pollen in autumn. Abbotabad in Pakistan has some very rare and old trees, some even as old as 200-300 years old. The photograph shown above is that of huge tree standing majestically in the Piffers Officers' Mess in Abbottabd, planted somewhere around 1850.

The leaves are needle-like, mostly 2.5–5 cm long, occasionally up to 7 cm long, slender (1 mm thick), borne singly on long shoots, and in dense clusters of 20-30 on short shoots; they vary from bright green to glaucous blue-green in colour. The female cones are barrel-shaped, 7–13 cm long and 5–9 cm broad, and disintegrate when mature (in 12 months) to release the winged seeds. The male cones are 4–6 cm long, and shed their pollen in autumn.

Etymology
The specific epithet and English vernacular name derive from the Sanskrit term devadāru, which means "wood of the gods", a compound of deva (god) and dāru (wood).

Cultural importance in the Indian subcontinent
The deodar tree is the national tree of Pakistan. Among Hindus it is worshipped as a divine tree, particularly in Kashmir and Punjab villages, as the name deodar suggests. The first half of the word deva means the words divine, deity, deus, and Zeus and the second part connotes durum, druid, tree, and true.

Several Hindu legends refer to this tree. In Valmiki Ramayan – Kishkinda khanda- stanza 4-43-13 reads:

lodhra padmaka khaNDeSu devadaaru vaneSu ca | raavaNaH saha vaidehyaa maargitavyaa tataH tataH

That means “In the stands of Lodhra trees, Padmaka trees and in the woods of Devadaru, or Deodar trees, Ravana is to be searched there and there, together with Seetha."

Forests full of Devadaru trees were the favorite abode or living place of ancient Indian sages and their families who were devoted to Hindu god Shiva for whom they performed very difficult tapasya (meditation) to please him.

Cultivation and uses
It is widely grown as an ornamental tree, much planted in parks and large gardens for its drooping foliage. General cultivation is limited to areas with mild winters, with trees frequently killed by temperatures below about −25 °C, limiting it to hardiness zones 8 and warmer for reliable growth.[5] It is commonly grown in western Europe (north to Scotland), in the Mediterranean region, around the Black Sea, in southern and central China, on the west coast of North America as far north as Vancouver, British Columbia, and in the southeastern United States from Texas to Virginia.

The most cold-tolerant trees originate in the northwest of the species' range in Kashmir and Paktia Province, Afghanistan. Selected cultivars from this region are hardy to zone 7 or even zone 6 [USDA zone, UK zone, which one?], tolerating temperatures down to about −30 °C.[5] Named cultivars from this region include 'Eisregen', 'Eiswinter', 'Karl Fuchs', 'Kashmir', 'Polar Winter', and 'Shalimar'. Of these, 'Eisregen', 'Eiswinter', 'Karl Fuchs', and 'Polar Winter' were selected in Germany from seed collected in Paktia; 'Kashmir' was a selection of the nursery trade, whereas 'Shalimar' originated from seeds collected in 1964 from Shalimar Gardens, India (in the Kashmir region) and propagated at the Arnold Arboretum.

Construction material
Deodar is in great demand as building material because of its durability, rot-resistant character and fine, close grain, which is capable of taking a high polish. Its historical use to construct religious temples and as landscape around temples is well recorded. Its rot-resistant character also makes it an ideal wood for constructing the famous houseboats of Srinagar, Kashmir. In India, during the British colonial period, deodar wood was used extensively for construction of barracks, public buildings, bridges, canals and railway cars.

Herbal Ayurveda
The curative properties of Deodar are well recorded in Indian Ayurvedic medicines, which are indicated below.

The inner wood is aromatic and used to make incense. Inner wood is distilled into essential oil. As insects avoid this tree, the essential oil is used as insect repellant on the feet of horses, cattle and camels. It also has antifungal properties and has some potential for control of fungal deterioration of spices during storage. The outer bark and stem are astringent. Its biomedical actions are reported to be carminative, antispasmodic, creates sweating, urination and is aromatic. Deodar’s Ayurvedic actions are reported to increase digestive function, remove toxins from the bowel, alleviate coughing, and cure skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis. Cedar oil is often used for its aromatic properties, especially in aromatherapy. It has a characteristic woody odour which may change somewhat in the course of drying out. The crude oils are often yellowish or darker in colour. Its applications cover soap perfumes, household sprays, floor polishes and insecticides and is also used in microscope work as a clearing oil.

National Flower

Gardenia or Jasmine is a genus of about 250 species of flowering plants in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, southern Asia, Australasia and Oceania. Several species occur on Hawaiʻi, where gardenias are known as naʻu or nānū.

The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus after Dr. Alexander Garden (1730-1791), a Scottish-born American naturalist.

They are evergreen shrubs and small trees growing to 1–15 metres (3.3–49 ft) tall. The leaves are opposite or in whorls of three or four, 5–50 centimetres (2.0–20 in) long and 3–25 centimetres (1.2–9.8 in) broad, dark green and glossy with a leathery texture. The flowers are solitary or in small clusters, white, or pale yellow, with a tubular-based corolla with 5-12 lobes (petals) from 5–12 centimetres (2.0–4.7 in) diameter. Flowering is from about mid-spring to mid-summer and many species are strongly scented.

Jasmine - Chanbeli - National Flower of Pakistan

Jasmine (Jasminum,from Old French. Jasmine which is from the Persian yasmin, i.e. "gift from God" via Arabic) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family (Oleaceae), with about 200 species, native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World. Most species grow as climbers on other plants or are trained in gardens on chicken wire, trellis gates or fences, or made to scramble through shrubs of open texture. The leaves can be either evergreen (green all year round) or deciduous (falling in autumn).

Species

Species include:

Jasminum abyssinicum Hochst. ex DC. – Forest jasmine
Jasminum adenophyllum Wall. – Pinwheel Jasmine, Bluegrape jasmine, Princess jasmine, Che vang, Lai la co tuyen
Jasminum dichotomum Vahl – Gold Coast Jasmine
Jasminum grandiflorum L. – Spanish Jasmine, Royal Jasmine, Catalonian Jasmine
Jasminum humile L. – Italian Yellow Jasmine
Jasminum mesnyi Hance – Japanese Jasmine, Primrose Jasmine, Yellow Jasmine
Jasminum odoratissimum L. – Yellow Jasmine
Jasminum officinale L. – Common Jasmine, Poet's Jasmine, jasmine, jessamine
Jasminum parkeri Dunn – Dwarf Jasmine
Jasminum polyanthum Franch.
Jasminum sambac (L.) Aiton – Arabian Jasmine

 

National Emblem of Pakistan

The State Emblem of Pakistan was adopted in 1954. The emblem's green colour and the star and crescent at the top are symbols of Islam, the religion with which most Pakistani citizens identify. In the center is a quartered shield, with each quarter containing a major crop of Pakistan at the time of its adoption: cotton, jute, tea, and wheat. The floral wreath around the shield is Poet's Jasmine (the national flower) and represents the Mughal cultural heritage of Pakistan. The scroll at the bottom contains the national motto in Urdu, coined by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, which reads from right to left: (Urdu: ایمان ، اتحاد ، نظم) Iman, Ittehad, Tanzeem translated as "Faith, Unity, Discipline".

The National Emblem

The national emblem of Pakistan was approved by the Central Government in 1954..There is a crescent and star crest at the top of the emblem, this is the traditional symbol if Islam. In the centre is a shield divided into four parts showing cotton, wheat, tea and jute which are the main crops of Pakistan. It signifies the strong agriculture based economy of the country. This shield is encircled by a wreath.
The scroll supporting the shield carries the Urdu words 'Faith', 'Unity' and 'Discipline

NATIONAL FRUIT OF PAKISTAN

Mangifera indica is a species of mango in the Anacardiaceae family. It is found in the wild in India and cultivated varieties have been introduced to other warm regions of the world.
The species appears to have been domesticated about 4,000 years ago.^{[citation needed]} The species was brought to East Asia around 400-500 BCE from India; next, in the 15th century to the Philippines; and then, in the 16th century to Africa and Brazil by the Portuguese.^[1] The species was described for science by Linnaeus in 1753.^[2]
Mango is the national fruit of both India and Pakistan. It finds mention in the songs of 4th century CE Sanskrit poet, Kalidasa, prior to it is believed to have been tasted by Alexander (3rd century BCE) and Chinese pilgrim, Hieun Tsang (7th century CE). Later in 16th century Mughal Emperor, Akbar planted 100,000 mango trees in Darbhanga, Bihar at a place now known as Lakhi Bagh

 
National Fruit

Mangoes belong to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous species of tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is indigenous to the Indian Subcontinent.[3] Cultivated in many tropical regions and distributed widely in the world, mango is one of the most extensively exploited fruits for food, juice, flavor, fragrance and color, making it a common ingredient in new functional foods often called superfruits. Its leaves are ritually used as floral decorations at weddings and religious ceremonies.

NATIONAL FLAG OF PAKISTAN

The national flag was designed by Syed Ameer uddin kidwai^[15] and was based on the original flag of the Muslim League. It was adopted by the Constituent Assembly^[16] on August 11, 1947, just days before independence.^[17][18][19] The flag is referred to in the national anthem as Parcham-e-Sitāra-o-Hilāl in Urdu (lit. Flag of the Crescent and Star). The flag comprises a dark green field, representing the Muslim majority of Pakistan, with a vertical white stripe in the hoist, representing religious minorities.^[15] In the centre is a white crescent moon, representing progress, and a white five-pointed star, representing light and knowledge.^[15] The flag symbolizes Pakistan's commitment to Islam, the Islamic world and the rights of religious minorities.^[20] The flag is flown on several important days of the year including Republic Day and Independence Day.^[21] The flag is also flown on the residences and motor vehicles of many public officials including the President and the Prime Minister.

What Does The National Flag Of Pakistan Represent?

The national flag of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is green and white in color. Being the first country, which had emerged on the face of the world map providing a homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent where they would have no qualms about the deserving prospect of practicing their religion, Pakistan's flag, which would be a symbolic representative of the country, was to contain the true essence of its spirit and succinctly yet meticulously elucidate the profound purpose, due to which Pakistan ultimately came into being.

Paying close attention to all these factors, the flag of Pakistan was finally delineated. The green segment of the flag represents the majority of Pakistan's population, who were Muslims. As for the white part, which has a smaller area on the flag, this reasonably and collectively symbolizes the minorities who are living in Pakistan. The moon is a meaningful emblem of Islam and stands for the assurance of religious harmony and freedom. Whereas the star with five corners signifies each of the five provinces that were part of Pakistan back in 1947. Today East Pakistan isn't part of Pakistan anymore and has instead been made into Bangladesh, which was the fifth province of Pakistan. 

NATIONAL BIRD OF PAKISTAN

Chukar

The Chukar (Alectoris chukar) is a Eurasian upland game bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. Its native range in Asia from Pakistan and Kashmir, India and Afghanistan. It is closely related and similar to its western equivalent, the Red-legged Partridge, Alectoris rufa. The Chukar is a rotund 32-35 cm long bird, with a light brown back, grey breast, and buff belly. The face is white with a black gorget. It has rufous-streaked flanks and red legs. When disturbed, it prefers to run rather than fly, but if necessary it flies a short distance on rounded wings. Chukar prefer rocky, steep, and open hillsides. The Chukar is a resident breeder in dry, open, and often hilly country. In the wild, Chukar travel in groups of 5-40 birds called coveys. It nests in a scantily lined ground scrape laying 8 to 20 eggs. Chukars will take a wide variety of seeds and some insects as food. When in captivity, they will lay 1 egg per day throughout the breeding season if the eggs are collected daily. For hunters, Chakur is a very challneging bird becuase of its surgical upward flights and sudden disappearances in the bushes.

Description

The Chukar is a rotund 32–35 cm (13–14 in) long partridge, with a light brown back, grey breast, and buff belly. The shades vary across the various populations. The face is white with a black gorget. It has rufous-streaked flanks, red legs and coral red bill. Sexes are similar, the female slightly smaller in size and lacking the spur.^[2] The tail has 14 feathers, the third primary is the longest while the first is level with the fifth and sixth primaries.^[3]

It is very similar to the Rock Partridge (Alectoris graeca) with which it has been lumped in the past^[4] but is browner on the back and has a yellowish tinge to the foreneck. The sharply defined gorget distinguishes this species from the Red-legged Partridge which has the black collar breaking into dark streaks near the breast. Their song is a noisy chuck-chuck-chukar-chukar from which the name is derived.^[5] The Barbary partridge (Alectoris barbara) has the a reddish brown rather than black collar with the grey throat and face with a chestnut crown.^[6]

Other common names of this bird include Chukker (sometimes spelled as 'Chuker' or 'Chukor'), Indian Chukar and Keklik.

National Animal of Pakistan

Markhor is the National Animal of Pakistan

 

The Markhor (Capra Falconeri Falconeri) mainly inhabits the sparsely wooded mountainous regions in Northern and Western Pakistan, at an elevation of 600-3,600 m / 1,900-11,500 ft. The total world population is mainly found in Pakistan. Today, Markhor are present in around 20 of Pakistan's protected areas. In the northern mountainous regions is found the Kashmir and Astor Markhor. The Kashmir Markhor (C. f. cashmirensis ) is mainly confined to Chitral Gol National Park and presents the biggest population in Pakistan.

Markhor

 The Markhor (Capra falconeri) is a large species of wild goat that is found in northeastern Afghanistan, Pakistan in (Gilgit-Baltistan, Hunza-Nagar Valley, northern and central Pakistan, and Kashmir), southern Tajikistan and southern Uzbekistan. The species is classed by the IUCN as Endangered, as there are less than 2,500 mature individuals which continued to decline by an estimated 20% over 2 generations.^[1] The Markhor is the National Animal of Pakistan.

SOME FACTS ABOUT MARKHOR

You really can’t miss the Markhor since they are one unique looking goat.  Besides the long furry coat the Markhor also has unusual horns.  The spiraled horns of the male can grow as long as 1.5 m (4.9′).  Meanwhile the horns of the female are not nearly as impressive as they typically grow to about 50 cm (1.9′).  Personally, I would have been impressed with the 2 foot horns on the female if it weren’t for the 5 foot long male horns.

Typically these goats can be found on the mountains ranging anywhere from 600 -3600 m above sea level.  In case anyone is unsure just how high that is I will try to clear it up for you.  That is really really high!  For my non-metric friends to the south, it is just under 12 000 feet.  So what the heck to these animals eat all the way up there?  Well, like most goats they graze on grasses and shrubs.  They just happen to be a very important part of the ecosystem since they are constantly transferring the seeds around the mountain.  You would think that a life on the edges of cliffs would be pretty safe.  Unfortunately this is not the case as the Markhor still have several predators including wolves, lynx and snowy leopards.  Is nowhere safe anymore?

NATIONAL SPORT OF PAKISTAN

Hockey 

Field Hockey is the national Sport in Pakistan, but today, Cricket is the most popular Sport in Pakistan.^[1] Traditional Sports like Kabaddi and other well known games are also played. The Pakistan Sports Board was created in 1962 by the Ministry of Education as a corporate body for the purposes of promoting and developing uniform standards of competition in Sports in Pakistan comparable to the standards prevailing internationally, and regulating and controlling Sports in Pakistan on a national basis. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, now has control over the Pakistan Sports Board. The PSB controls all 39 Sporting Federations. The Pakistan Sports Board is support by the Pakistan Sports Trust which assists hard up players and associations so they can continue participating in sports.

Over recent years there has been an increase in sporting activity in Pakistan, with Pakistani sportsmen and women participating at many national and international events. Also, more international tournaments now take place in Pakistan. The size of the teams Pakistan sends, and the number of events they participate in the Olympic Games, Asian Games, World Games and Commonwealth Games has increased since the turn of the century.

History of Pakistan Hockey in Olympics

Pakistan Hockey Federation was established in 1948, to guide and look after the players. The Pakistan Hockey team was also given a name-Green Shirts. Since then, Hockey has become Pakistan's national game. Pakistan has a glorious history in Men's Hockey. The past is glorious. The nation has won 3 gold medals in field hockey in summer Olympics. The journey actually started with 1956 Olympics, when the Pakistani national side reached Olympics final for the first time. The nation got independence in 1947, so this was a big achievement. India defeated Pakistan in this final, but the green shirts never lost hope. They level the defeat of 1956 final with an impressive victory in Olympics of 1960.
In the next 4 Olympics, Pakistan never left the field without going to the victory stand. Pakistan proved it that their winning the Olympics in 1960 was no fluke. Pakistan played the final match in 1964, 1968 and 1972 for 3 consecutive Olympics, winning the gold medal in 1968 and silver medal in the other two Olympics.
Pakistani Green shirts were not able to reach the final of the Olympics in 1976 and 1980, but they did strike back full force in 1984 and snatched the gold medal from the strongest opponent West Germany. After 1984, Pakistan has reached the victory stand in Olympics hockey only once. That was back in 1992, for a bronze medal.
In fact Pakistan's first international win was over Belgium on the 2nd of August, 1948, at the fourteenth Olympic Games. Since then, their game has been progressing from strength to strength. And world-class players like-Hassan Sardar, Mohammed Saqlain, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mansoor Ahmed, Sohail Abbas, Kaleemullah Khan, Waseem Ahmad, Shahnaz Sheikh, Samiullah Khan and Manzoor Hussain, among others-will forever find their names etched in letters of gold!
The Pakistan Hockey teams are best remembered for their performances at the various Olympiads. Every Summer Olympics is after all an international event, and it requires a lot of grit and excellence to overcome competition from so many participating countries! And this Pakistan managed to do wonderfully, especially on the "hockey" field! The winning squads were carefully chosen to represent the country, and they did not fail the faith placed in them! Their record has really been enviable! They are the proud owners of three gold medals at the Summer Olympics held in 1960, 1968, and 1984. The 1960 Olympics was special to Pakistan as Pakistan won the gold medal in Olympics for the first time.
Also, Pakistan defeated the arch rival India in the final. In the 1968 Olympics final, Pakistan defeated Australia to snatch the crown. Pakistan beat West Germany in 1984 to win the gold medal third time. Since then Pakistan has not performed in the usual brilliant way in any Olympics. And so what if they did not receive gold medals during the other Olympiads? They did manage to bag 3 silvers and 2 bronze in their place! The nation is proud of its hockey history, and wishes to get back to the crown once again very soon.

FOUNDER OF PAKISTAN

Mohammad Ali Jinnah (Urdu: محمد علی جناح, Sindhi: محمد علي جيڻا, Gujarati: મુહમ્મદ અલી જિન્ના, Audio (help·info)); December 25, 1876 – September 11, 1948) was a 20th century lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam (Urdu: قائد اعظم — "Great Leader") and Baba-e-Qaum (باباۓ قوم) ("Father of the Nation").

Jinnah served as leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until Pakistan's independence on August 14, 1947 and Pakistan's first Governor-General from August 15, 1947 until his death on September 11, 1948. Jinnah rose to prominence in the Indian National Congress initially expounding ideas of Hindu-Muslim unity and helping shape the 1916 Lucknow Pact between the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress; he also became a key leader in the All India Home Rule League. He proposed a fourteen-point constitutional reform plan to safeguard the political rights of Muslims in a self-governing India.

Jinnah later advocated the Two-Nation Theory embracing the goal of creating a separate Muslim state as per the Lahore Resolution.^[7] The League won most reserved Muslim seats in the elections of 1946. After the British and Congress backed out of the Cabinet Mission Plan Jinnah called for a Direct Action Day to achieve the formation of Pakistan. The direct action^[8][9] by the Muslim League and its Volunteer Corps, resulted in massive rioting in Calcutta^[9][10] between Muslims and Hindus.^[10][11] As the Indian National Congress and Muslim League failed to reach a power sharing formula for united India, it prompted both the parties and the British to agree to independence of Pakistan and India. As the first Governor-General of Pakistan, Jinnah led efforts to lay the foundations of the new state of Pakistan, frame national policies and rehabilitate millions of Muslim refugees who had migrated from India.

He died in September 1948, just over a year after Pakistan gained independence from the British Empire.

Early life

Sindh Madrasatul Islam, in present day Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.

Jinnah was born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai (Gujarati: મુહમ્મદ અલી જિન્નાભાઈ)^[12] in Wazir Mansion,^[13][14][15] Karachi District, of lower Sindh. Sindh had earlier been conquered by the British and was subsequently grouped with other conquered territories for administrative reasons to form the Bombay Presidency of British India. Although his earliest school records state that he was born on October 20, 1875, Sarojini Naidu, the author of Jinnah's first biography, gives the date as ”December 25, 1876”.
Jinnah was the first child born to Mithibai and Jinnahbhai Poonja. His father, Jinnahbhai (1857–1901), was a prosperous Gujarati merchant who had moved to Sindh from Kathiawar, Gujarat before Jinnah's birth.^[13][16] His grandfather, Poonja Gokuldas Meghji,^[17] was a Hindu Bhatia Rajput from Paneli village in Gondal state in Kathiawar. Jinnah's ancestors were Hindu Rajputs who had converted to Islam.^[16] Jinnah's family belonged to the Ismaili Khoja branch of Shi'a Islam,^[1] though Jinnah later converted to Twelver Khoja Shia Islam.^[2][5][6]
The first-born Jinnah was soon joined by six siblings, brothers Ahmad Ali, Bunde Ali, and Rahmat Ali, and sisters Maryam, Fatima and Shireen. Their mother language was Gujarati; in time they also came to speak Kutchi, Sindhi and English.^[18] The proper Muslim names of Mr. Jinnah and his siblings, unlike those of his father and grandfather, are the consequence of the family's immigration to the Muslim state of Sindh.
Jinnah was a restless student, he studied at several schools: at the Sindh-Madrasa-tul-Islam in Karachi; briefly at the Gokal Das Tej Primary School in Bombay; and finally at the Christian Missionary Society High School in Karachi,^[12] where, at age sixteen, he passed the matriculation examination of the University of Bombay.^[19]

Years in England

Jinnah in his youth, in traditional dress.

In 1892, Jinnah was offered an apprenticeship at the London office of Graham's Shipping and Trading Company, a business that had extensive dealings with Jinnahbhai Poonja's firm in Karachi.^[12] Before he left for England, at his mother's urging, he married his distant cousin – Emibai Jinnah, who was two years his junior;^[12] she died a few months later. During his sojourn in England, his mother too would pass away.^[16] In London, Jinnah soon left the apprenticeship to study law instead, by joining Lincoln's Inn. It is said that the sole reason of Jinnah's joining Lincoln's Inn is that the welcome board of the Lincoln's Inn had the names of the world's all-time top-ten magistrates, and that this list was led by the name of Muhammad. No such board exists, although there is a mural which includes a picture of Muhammad.^[16] In three years, at age 19, he became the youngest Indian to be called to the bar in England.^[16]
During his student years in England, Jinnah came under the spell of 19th-century British liberalism, like many other future Indian independence leaders. This education included exposure to the idea of the democratic nation and progressive politics. He admired William Gladstone and John Morley, British Liberal statesmen. An admirer of the Indian political leaders Dadabhai Naoroji and Sir Pherozeshah Mehta,^[20] he worked with other Indian students on the former's successful campaign to become the first Indian to hold a seat in the British Parliament.
By now, Jinnah had developed largely constitutionalist views on Indian self-government, and he condemned both the arrogance of British officials in India and the discrimination practiced by them against Indians. This idea of a nation legitimized by democratic principles and cultural commonalities was antithetical to the genuine diversity that had generally characterized the subcontinent. As an Indian intellectual and political authority, Jinnah would find his commitment to the Western ideal of the nation-state developed during his English education– and the reality of heterogeneous Indian society to be difficult to reconcile during his later political career.

Western influences on personal life

The Western world not only inspired Jinnah in his political life. England had greatly influenced his personal preferences, particularly when it came to dress. Jinnah donned Western style clothing and he pursued the fashion with fervor. It is said he owned over 200 hand-tailored suits which he wore with heavily starched shirts with detachable collars. It is also alleged that he never wore the same silk tie twice.^[21]

Return to India

Muhammad Ali Jinnah as a young lawyer

During the final period of his stay in England, Jinnah came under considerable pressure to return home when his father's business was ruined. In 1896 he returned to India and settled in Bombay. Jinnah built a house in Malabar Hill, later known as Jinnah House. He became a successful lawyer, gaining particular fame for his skilled handling of the "Caucus Case".^[20] His reputation as a skilled lawyer prompted Indian leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak to hire him as defence counsel for his sedition trial in 1908. Jinnah argued that it was not sedition for an Indian to demand freedom and self-government in his own country, but Tilak received a rigorous term of imprisonment.^[20]
When he returned to India his faith in liberalism and progressive politics was confirmed through his close association with three Indian National Congress stalwarts Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Pherozeshah Mehta and Surendranath Banerjee. These people had an influence in his early life in England and they would influence his later involvement in Indian politics.^[22]

Early political career

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, as a young lawyer.

In 1896, Jinnah joined the Indian National Congress, which was the largest Indian political organization. Like most of the Congress at the time, Jinnah did not favour outright independence, considering British influences on education, law, culture and industry as beneficial to India. Jinnah became a member on the sixty-member Imperial Legislative Council. The council had no real power or authority, and included a large number of un-elected pro-Raj loyalists and Europeans. Nevertheless, Jinnah was instrumental in the passing of the Child Marriages Restraint Act, the legitimization of the Muslim waqf (religious endowments) and was appointed to the Sandhurst committee, which helped establish the Indian Military Academy at Dehra Dun.^[13][23] During World War I, Jinnah joined other Indian moderates in supporting the British war effort, hoping that Indians would be rewarded with political freedoms.
Jinnah had initially avoided joining the All India Muslim League, founded in 1906, regarding it as too Muslim oriented. However he decided to provide leadership to the Muslim minority. Eventually, he joined the league in 1913 and became the president at the 1916 session in Lucknow. Jinnah was the architect of the 1916 Lucknow Pact between the Congress and the League, bringing them together on most issues regarding self-government and presenting a united front to the British. Jinnah also played an important role in the founding of the All India Home Rule League in 1916. Along with political leaders Annie Besant and Tilak, Jinnah demanded "home rule" for India—the status of a self-governing dominion in the Empire similar to Canada, New Zealand and Australia. He headed the League's Bombay Presidency chapter.
In 1918, Jinnah married his second wife Rattanbai Petit ("Ruttie"), twenty-four years his junior. She was the fashionable young daughter of his personal friend Sir Dinshaw Petit, of an elite Parsi family of Bombay. Unexpectedly there was great opposition to the marriage from Rattanbai's family and Parsi society, as well as orthodox Muslim leaders. Rattanbai defied her family and nominally converted to Islam, adopting (though never using) the name Maryam Jinnah, resulting in a permanent estrangement from her family and Parsi society. The couple resided in Bombay, and frequently travelled across India and Europe. In 1919 she bore Jinnah his only child, daughter Dina Jinnah.
In 1924 Jinnah reorganized the Muslim League, of which he had been president since 1919, and devoted the next seven years attempting to bring about unity among the disparate ranks of Muslims and to develop a rational formula to effect a Hindu Muslim settlement, which he considered the pre condition for Indian freedom. He attended several unity conferences, wrote the Delhi Muslim Proposals in 1927, pleaded for the incorporation of the basic Muslim demands in the Nehru report, and formulated the “Fourteen Points”^[24]

 

Founding of Pakistan

Jinnah with Cabinet Mission

A letter by Jinnah to Winston Churchill

In the 1946 elections for the Constituent Assembly of India, the Congress won most of the elected seats, while the League won a large majority of Muslim electorate seats. The 1946 British Cabinet Mission to India released a plan on May 16, calling for a united Indian state comprising considerably autonomous provinces, and called for "groups" of provinces formed on the basis of religion. A second plan released on June 16, called for the separation of India along religious lines, with princely states to choose between accession to the dominion of their choice or independence. The Congress, fearing India's fragmentation, criticised the May 16 proposal and rejected the June 16 plan. Jinnah gave the League's assent to both plans, knowing that power would go only to the party that had supported a plan. After much debate and against Gandhi's advice that both plans were divisive, the Congress accepted the May 16 plan while condemning the grouping principle.^{[citation needed]} Jinnah decried this acceptance as "dishonesty", accused the British negotiators of "treachery",^[39] and withdrew the League's approval of both plans. The League boycotted the assembly, leaving the Congress in charge of the government but denying it legitimacy in the eyes of many Muslims.
Jinnah gave a precise definition of the term 'Pakistan' in 1941 at Lahore in which he stated:

Some confusion prevails in the minds of some individuals in regard to the use of the word 'Pakistan'. This word has become synonymous with the Lahore resolution owing to the fact that it is a convenient and compendious method of describing [it].... For this reason the British and Indian newspapers generally have adopted the word 'Pakistan' to describe the Moslem demand as embodied in the Lahore resolution.^[40]

Jinnah issued a call for all Muslims to launch "Direct Action" on August 16 to "achieve Pakistan".^[41] Strikes and protests were planned, but violence broke out all over India, especially in Calcutta and the district of Noakhali in Bengal, and more than 7,000 people were killed in Bihar. Although viceroy Lord Wavell asserted that there was "no satisfactory evidence to that effect",^[42] League politicians were blamed by the Congress and the media for orchestrating the violence.^[43] Interim Government portfolios were announced on October 25, 1946.^[44] Muslim Leaguers were sworn in on October 26, 1946.^[45] The League entered the interim government, but Jinnah refrained from accepting office for himself. This was credited as a major victory for Jinnah, as the League entered government having rejected both plans, and was allowed to appoint an equal number of ministers despite being the minority party. The coalition was unable to work, resulting in a rising feeling within the Congress that independence of Pakistan was the only way of avoiding political chaos and possible civil war. The Congress agreed to the division of Punjab and Bengal along religious lines in late 1946. The new viceroy Lord Mountbatten of Burma and Indian civil servant V. P. Menon proposed a plan that would create a Muslim dominion in West Punjab, East Bengal, Baluchistan and Sindh. After heated and emotional debate, the Congress approved the plan.^[46] The North-West Frontier Province voted to join Pakistan in a referendum in July 1947. Jinnah asserted in a speech in Lahore on October 30, 1947 that the League had accepted independence of Pakistan because "the consequences of any other alternative would have been too disastrous to imagine."^[47]
The independent state of Pakistan, created on August 14, 1947, represented the outcome of a campaign on the part of the Indian Muslim community for a Muslim homeland which had been triggered by the British decision to consider transferring power to the people of India.^[48]