Why Pakistan marks Independence Day a day before India?
This year, Pakistan is celebrating its 79th Independence Day and the theme for the celebration has been named 'Marka-e-Haq' (Battle of Truth).
AS both India and Pakistan are going to celebrate their 79th Independence Day this week, people often get confused about why these neighbours celebrate their independence on different dates, despite attaining freedom from British colonial rule on the same date.
According to the details, the Indian Independence Act of 1947 had created two new independent dominions – India and Pakistan – by partitioning the Bengal and Punjab provinces.
The Act states: "As from the fifteenth day of August, nineteen hundred and forty-seven, two independent Dominions shall be set up in India, to be known respectively as India and Pakistan."
The founding father of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, in his historic radio address, declared that “August 15 is the birthday of the independent and sovereign state of Pakistan.
What theories state
However, theories state that Pakistan's Independence Day is somehow related to the busy schedule of Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of British India and the first Governor.
Though the power transfer was planned before June 1948, Mountbatten had planned to announce Independence Day for both countries as August 15. For this, he went to Karachi to transfer the power of governance of Pakistan to Muhammad Ali Jinnah on August 14, 1947.
While another theory notes that at a cabinet meeting chaired by the first Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan, the independence day of Pakistan was proposed a day before India, which was approved by Jinnah and the date was advanced to August 14.
Some theories suggest that Pakistan's Independence date is related to religious reasons. According to experts, the intervening night of August 14 and 15, 1947, coincided with the 27th day of Ramzan. Considered auspicious, August 14 was taken as the day of independence.
Science-wise, it is stated that the Indian Standard Time (IST) is 30 minutes ahead of Pakistan Standard Time (PST). With India becoming a free country at 00:00 hours on August 15, it was still 11:30 pm on August 14. So Pakistan celebrates Independence Day on August 14 each year.
Pakistan Independence Day theme
This year, Pakistan is celebrating its 79th Independence Day. The theme for the celebration has been named 'Marka-e-Haq' (Battle of Truth). According to The Dawn, this highlights Pakistan's steadfast resolve, sacrifices, and unity.
The theme was selected by Pakistan's Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, following directives from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
