Pakistan to honor two Mumbai doctors with highest civilian award

Pakistan has announced it will confer its highest civilian honour, the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, upon two doctors from Mumbai’s Parsi community. The recognition is for their role in maintaining the confidentiality of Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s terminal illness during the 1947 Partition.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, acting as Chairman of the Awards Committee, stated that the physician and radiologist faithfully guarded the secret of Jinnah’s health. Iqbal noted that revealing Jinnah’s condition could have significantly impacted the creation of Pakistan. He cited historical perspectives suggesting that if Lord Mountbatten had known the severity of Jinnah’s illness, he might have delayed the Partition, potentially altering the course of history.

The awards were announced on August 14, Pakistan’s Independence Day, and will be formally presented at a presidential investiture ceremony on March 23.