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.