The Indian Independence Act of 1947, passed on July 18, 1947, led to the creation of two new nations—India and Pakistan. According to the Act, “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.”
Interestingly, August 15 was originally celebrated as Pakistan’s Independence Day. This is evident from a historic radio address given by Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan, where he declared, “August 15 is the birthday of the independent and sovereign state of Pakistan. It marks the fulfillment of the destiny of the Muslim nation, which made great sacrifices in the past few years to have its homeland.”
In an interview with The Express Tribune in 2016, senior Pakistani journalist Shahida Kazi mentioned that logically, Pakistan should celebrate its independence on August 15, the day it was officially declared independent.
On the morning of August 15, 1947, Jinnah and the members of Pakistan’s first cabinet took their oaths of office. Pakistan’s first commemorative postage stamps, issued in July 1948, also marked August 15, 1947, as the country’s Independence Day.
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What Happened On August 14?
On August 14, 1947, Viceroy Lord Mountbatten delivered a speech to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan as part of the process of transferring power to the newly formed countries of India and Pakistan. The official handover was scheduled for midnight on August 15, but since Mountbatten couldn’t be in both New Delhi and Karachi at the same time, he had to first transfer power to Pakistan in Karachi on August 14 before traveling to New Delhi.
Renowned Pakistani historian Khursheed Kamal Aziz explained in his book Murder of History that Mountbatten, as the British King’s representative in India, had to personally oversee the transfer of power. Since it was impossible for him to be in both cities at the same time, he transferred power to Pakistan on August 14 while he was still the Viceroy of India. However, this does not mean that Pakistan’s official independence date was August 14, as the Indian Independence Act of 1947 had set August 15 as the date for both countries.
Originally, Pakistan was supposed to celebrate its Independence Day on August 15, just like India. However, in 1948, Pakistan decided to move its Independence Day to August 14. There are several theories as to why this change was made. According to an India Today report, some Pakistani leaders wanted to celebrate their Independence Day a day before India. A meeting led by Pakistan’s then Prime Minister, Liaqat Ali Khan, took place in June 1948, where the decision to shift the date was made. Although Jinnah approved the change, not everyone agreed with the decision.
Journalist Shahida Kazi mentioned in an interview with ‘The Express Tribune’ that Pakistan’s leaders likely chose August 14 simply to have a different date from India. Since 1948, Pakistan has celebrated its Independence Day on August 14.
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