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.