The last 60 days of Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s life: Who advised him to take Ziyarat?

July 14, 1948 was the day. The then Governor General Mohammad Ali Jinnah was taken from Quetta to Ziyarat despite his illness.

After this, he remained alive for only 60 days and on 11 September 1948 became disinterested from this world.

What happened in these last 60 days of the life of Pakistan’s father, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, is the subject of this article.

This mystery could not be solved till today who had advised ‘Qaid-e-Azam’ Mohammad Ali Jinnah to take Ziyarat from Quetta despite serious illness.

Ziyarat is famous worldwide for its cedar trees and is present at an altitude of 2,449 meters above sea level, 133 kilometers from Quetta.

There used to be a saint Kharwari Baba at this place, due to which this place is called Ziyarat. Jinnah’s Makan or Qaid-e-Azam Residency is located 10 km from Ziarat.

Jinnah’s sister Fatima has written in her book ‘My Brother’ that the decision to move from Quetta to Ziarat was Jinah’s own decision because he was not getting any rest at all in Quetta because of his official and non-official busyness.

He was constantly getting invites from various agencies and many leaders to attend his meetings and address the people.

Although it is still unclear who told Jinnah about Ziyarat and who advised to go there.

13 to 21 July: Jinnah did not pay attention to getting treatment from a certified doctor even after reaching Ziarat on the advice of doctors.

But at the same time, it was reported that the famous doctor Riyaz Ali Shah is coming to see one of his patients. Fatima Jinnah told her brother that Doctor Riyaz Ali Shah should take advantage of being present in Ziarat, but he refused the offer sternly, saying that he did not have any more serious illness and if only his stomach was eating something If digested properly, they will be healthy again soon.

According to Fatima Jinnah “He always avoided such doctors’ advice as to what to do, what to eat, how much to eat, when to sleep, and for how long to rest. This old habit of avoiding treatment once again emerged.”

But soon he was forced to give up this habit. Within a week of reaching Ziyarat, his health deteriorated so much that for the first time in his life, his health became a cause of trouble for himself.

Till now, he thought that he could keep health according to his wish, but when he had spent only one week on 21 July 1948, when he reached Ziarat, he accepted that he no longer had to take much health risk. And that now they really need good medical advice.

Fatima Jinnah says that as soon as she came to know about her brother’s intention, she sent a message through her private secretary Farukh Amin to the Secretary General of the Cabinet, Chaudhary Mohammad Ali, that he would send Lahore’s famous Physician doctor Colonel Elahi Bakhsh by airplane Please arrange delivery.

23 July to 29 July: the secret hidden in a vault of Bombay

Dr. Ilahi Baksh reached Quetta on 23 July 1948 and then from there to Ziarat by car. Despite traveling for the whole day, it was evening before he reached Ziarat and his meeting with Jinnah was possible only the next morning.

He has written in his book that “When I talked to him about his illness, his emphasis was on the fact that he is very well and that his stomach will be back to normal soon.”

But after a brief examination of Jinnah, doctor Ilahi Baksh came to the conclusion that his stomach is perfectly fine but the condition of his chest and lungs is not satisfactory.

On the advice of Dr. Ilahi Bakhsh, the next day Civil Surgeon Dr. Siddiqui and Clinical Pathologist Dr. Mehmood of Quetta reached Ziarat with the necessary equipment and accessories.

He immediately conducted tests for Jinnah, whose report verified the fears of Dr. Ilahi Baksh that he had tuberculosis (TB).

Doctor Ilahi Baksh first informed Fatima Jinnah about Jinnah’s illness and then at his behest, his patient i.e. Mohammad Ali Jinnah was also informed.

Dr. Ilahi Baksh writes, “I was very impressed by the way Qaid-e-Azam listened to me.”

Chaudhary Mohammad Hussain Chatta told Zameer Ahmed Munir in one of his interviews that when Dr. Ilahi Bakhsh told Jinnah that he had tuberculosis, Jinnah replied “Doctor, I have known this for 12 years, I have given my illness only because It was not revealed that Hindus should not wait for my death. “

Larry Collins and Dominic Lapierre, authors of the famous book ‘Freedom at Midnight’, written on the subject of India’s war of independence, have rightly written that “If anyone in April 1947, Mountbatten, Jawaharlal Nehru or Mahatma Gandhi The unusual raj would have been known, which was kept in the safe of the office of the office of a famous doctor of Bombay, JAL Patel, it would have never been partitioned and the current of the history of Asia would have been flowing on another trend.

“It was a secret that even the British Secret Service was unaware of. It was an X-ray film of Jinnah’s lungs, in which two big spots on his lungs were equal to a table tennis ball. There was one around each spot It was very clear that it was very clear how the disease of tuberculosis had spread aggressively on Jinnah’s lungs. “

On the advice of Jinnah, Dr. Patel never told anyone about those x-rays. However, he definitely gave this advice to Jinnah for treatment and staying healthy. He said that its treatment depends only on comfort. But where did the founder of Pakistan have a rest time?

Sister did not even inform about the disease

Jinnah had less time and work was too much and he could never get regular treatment.

He did not even tell about his illness to his dearest sister, even he informed Dr. Ilahi Baksh with his secret at the same time when he himself had reached this conclusion.

After a long time Mountbatten told Larry Collins and Dominic Lapierre in an interview that Jinnah had all the power. He had said, “If someone had told me that they would leave this world in a very short time, I would not have allowed the partition of India. This was the only situation that India would have remained organized. The stone of the way was only Mr. , The other leaders were not so strict and I am sure that the Congress would have reached some reconciliation with them and Pakistan would not have been in disarray till the doom. “

Dr. Ilahi Baksh writes: “When the disease was detected, I made a change in treatment and food on one side and on the other hand gave a telegram from Lahore to Dr. Riyaz Ali Shah, Dr. SS Alam and Dr. Ghulam Mohammed that it was important and portable Immediately reached Xiarat after taking the X-ray machine.

30 July: Visit of Prime Minister and Jinnah refuse to take medicine

On 30 July 1948, all these doctors of Jinnah reached Ziarat. A day before that, an Experience Nurse Films Dillham from Quetta had also been summoned for his care.

Now Jinnah was expected to be formally treated, on the same day an incident occurred on which the curtains of silence are still lying. Even those who know about this, say that this incident should still be kept secret.

Fatima first wrote about this incident in her book ‘My Brother’. He wrote this book with the help of Mr. Alana.

After his death, its draft was found in the papers which are now kept in the National Archives of Islamabad.

This draft was published in 1987 in the form of a book by Qayed-e-Azam Academy, Karachi, but the paragraph which was written by Fatima Jinnah in the context of the incident occurred on 30 July 1948 was removed from this book.

Fatima Jinnah wrote in her book, “One day in late July, Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan and Chaudhary Mohammad Ali suddenly reached Ziarat without any prior notice. The Prime Minister asked Dr. Ilahi Bakhsh about Jinnah’s illness. What did the doctor find out? The doctor said that he had been called by Fatima ji and he could only tell him something about his patient. The Prime Minister insisted that he was concerned about the health of the Governor General as Prime Minister but then Also, Dr. Ilahi Baksh said that he could not tell anyone without the permission of his patient.

Fatima Jinnah further writes, “I was sitting near my brother when I was told that the Prime Minister and the Secretary-General of the Cabinet want to meet him. When I informed my brother, he smiled and said, ‘Fati! You know. Why has he come here, he wants to see how serious my illness is and how long I will be alive now. “

A few minutes later he told his sister, “Go down… tell the Prime Minister I will meet him too.”

Fatima Jinnah pleaded with her brother that “It is too late, you will meet him in the morning.” But Jinnah said “No … let him come now, he can see it with his own eyes.”

She further writes her book, “The two met for half an hour. As soon as Liaquat Ali Khan came back down, I went upstairs to my brother. He was tired and his face was off. Asked for juice and then invited Chaudhary Mohammad Ali who stayed with him for 15 minutes. Then when he was alone again I went to him. I asked if he would like to have juice or coffee but he did not answer. He was missing a deep thought. By now it was time for dinner. She writes, “Brother said to me ‘It would be nice to go downstairs and have dinner with them’.”

“I said emphatically, ‘I will sit next to you and eat food right here’. ‘No’ brother said, ‘This is not right. They are our guests here, go and have dinner with them’.”

After this Fatima Jinnah writes, “At the dining table I found the Prime Minister in a very happy mood. He was listening to jokes and joking while I was trembling with fear for my brother’s health which is sickening in the floor above. I was lying on the bed. While eating, Chaudhary Mohammad Ali remained silently lost in some thought. I went upstairs before the food was over. When I entered the room, the brothers looked at me and smiled and said ‘Fati, you dare Should work ‘. “

She writes, “I tried a lot to hide my tears, which had flooded my eyes.”

On 17 October 1979, Pakistan Times Lahore published an article by Sharifuddin Pirzada titled ‘The Last Days of the Qaid-e-Azam’.

He referred to a letter from eminent legalist MA Rahman. In the letter, MA Rahman wrote to him that Humayun Khan, son of Dr. Ilahi Bakhsh, also told him about this incident.

“The effect of the medicine on Qayed-e-Azam was getting on very well and he was recovering earlier. One day Liaquat Ali Khan came to Ziyarat to meet Qayed-e-Azam. He accompanied him for about an hour. At the same time, it was time to give medicine but my father could not go in and give medicine to Qaid-e-Azam because the meeting that was taking place inside was very intelligence. That is why he kept waiting outside so that the meeting would end He could feed medicine to Qaid-e-Azam.

“When Liaquat Ali Khan came out of the room, my father immediately entered the room and wanted to give the medicine to Qaid-e-Azam. He saw that Qaid-e-Azam was very worried and despairing and he took the medicine He refused to eat and said that I do not want to be alive anymore. After that, despite the father’s best efforts and many things, Qaid-e-Azam refused to accompany his doctor. “

Humayun Khan further said, “Shortly after the death of Qayed-e-Azam, Liaquat Ali Khan called my father. Liaquat Ali Khan asked him that when I came out of the room in Ziyarat and you went in, perhaps -A-Azam what did you talk to me. “

“My father tried to convince Liaquat Ali Khan that Kyad had not spoken to me at all about the conversation between you, except that after that Kaid had stopped taking drugs, but Liaquat Ali Khan was not satisfied with my father’s answer. “

“Liaquat Ali Khan kept trying to force his father on me for a long time. When his meeting ended and my father started leaving the room, Liaquat Ali Khan called him back and warned him that if he had met through any other means If I hear anything about him, my father will have to face serious consequences. “

This is the statement of Humayun Khan, son of Dr. Ilahi Bakhsh, who reached us through MA Rahman and Sharifuddin Pirzada.

There may be scope for debate on its veracity because Dr. Karnal Ilahi Baksh himself has written about this incident differently in his book ‘Qaid-e-Azam’s Last Day’.

Dr. Ilahi’s statement about this incident is different

Dr. Karnal Ilahi Baksh writes, “When I came down, I met the Prime Minister in the drawing room. He came with Mr. Mohammad Ali the same day to inquire about the health of the Qaid-e-Azam. Asked for Azam’s condition and expressed satisfaction that the patient has faith in his doctor and inshallah it will have a good effect on his health. “

“He very emphatically said that the root cause of Qayed-e-Azam’s disease must be traced. I convinced him that even if the condition of Qaid-e-Azam was serious, he hoped that if he took that new medicine Ate that is being ordered from Karachi, it is possible they will be cured. “

“It is a matter of great hope that the patient has a lot of disease resistance. The Prime Minister was deeply saddened by the illness of his leader and old friend. He was deeply affected by his grief.”

But what is the truth in both these statements? Only five, six people knew about it, who were present on the spot at that time. Incidentally, none of them are alive anymore.

Even the dust of 72 years and years has accumulated on the incident and now there is no such source left that can tell the country the reality of this incident.

31 July to 12 August: Jinnah’s favourite cook

In two-three days, Jinnah’s condition became so much better that on August 3, Dr. Colonel Ilahi Baksh also took permission from him to go to Lahore.

By the way, the reason is seen that Eid was going to come a few days later and Dr. Ilahi Baksh wanted to celebrate the festival of Eid with his family members.

But just a day after he reached Lahore, he was asked to come to Ziarat immediately by taking Ultraviolet Apparatus, a machine to be treated with ultraviolet rays, with Dr. Alam and on 6 August he reached Ziyarat with this machine. Doctor Riyaz Hussain Shah told him that Jinnah became very weak in his non-attendance and his blood pressure had fallen a lot but his condition had improved a bit by injecting him.

The next day was Eid-ul-Fitr on 7 August 1948. Jinnah’s treatment started the same evening, but it did not suit him and there was some swelling on his feet.

On August 9, doctors advised that the elevation from the sea level of Ziyarat is not good for the patient and he should be taken to Quetta.

Jinnah was not ready to go before 15 August because it was decided in June this year that Independence Day would be celebrated on 14 August instead of 15. But on the advice of his doctors, he agreed to go to Quetta on August 13.

It was about the time of Jinnah’s stay in Ziyarat that Dr. Colonel Ilahi Baksh asked Fatima, “How to prepare your brother for something to eat, tell him some food of his special choice.”

Fatima Jinnah told that “there used to be a cook in Bombay who used to prepare some food that the brothers used to eat them very fondly, but After becoming Pakistan, that cook went somewhere. “

He remembered that he was a resident of Lailpur (now Faisalabad) and said that he might get some address from there.

Hearing this, Dr. Saheb requested the Punjab Government to search for that cook and send it immediately. Somehow, he got the cook and he was sent immediately to Jiyarat, although Jinnah was not told about his arrival.

At the dining table, he expressed surprise while watching his favorite food and was happy and ate well. Jinnah asked who made the food today, then his sister told that the Punjab government has searched our Bombay cook and sent it here and she has prepared the food of your choice.

Jinnah asked the sister who has borne the expense of finding and sending this cook here. When he was told that this work was done by the Punjab government, Jinnah asked for a file related to the cook and wrote on it that “It is not the job of any department of the government to provide the cook and food of the choice of the Governor General.” Go so that I can pay it from my pocket. ” And then it happened.

13 August to 28 August: Recovery of health and getting ready to return to Karachi

When Jinnah arrived back in Quetta in the evening of August 13, 1948, after staying in Ziyarat for a month, he told his doctors, “I did very well that in the Ziyarat that brought me here, I felt like being locked in a cage.”

After reaching Quetta on August 16, his doctors once again did his X-rays and other tests. The X-ray report showed that Jinnah’s health was getting better than before and the test report also confirmed this opinion. Therefore, the doctors allowed Jinnah to read the newspaper to keep him busy and he was not even denied to deal with some office files.

After reaching Quetta, Jinnah’s health was so stable for a few days that he started working for an hour daily without feeling tired. His stomach was also working better, even one day, despite the advice of the doctors, he prepared the halwa puri and ate it with fondness.

A few days later, he started smoking cigarettes on the advice of doctors. Doctors believed that if a person is addicted to cigarettes and asks for cigarettes during his illness, then it is a sign of returning to his health.

Now the doctors, while further examining Jinnah’s health, requested him to move from Quetta to Karachi but Jinnah did not want to go to the Governor General House in a helpless condition lying on the stretcher.

When he was told repeatedly, he agreed to go to Karachi on the condition that he would not stay in the Governor General House but in the house of Nawab of Bahawalpur in Malar. In those days the Nawab of Bahawalpur lived in Britain.

Jinnah was told that if he had to write a right to live in his house, then his principles did not allow him to write this letter. He did not want to become the Governor General of the country and get formal permission from the Nawab of a princely state included in his country.

29 August: “I have finished my work”

On 29 August 1948, Dr. Elahi Baksh examined Jinnah once more.

He writes: “After examining ‘Qaid-e-Azam, I hoped to live long enough to strengthen and stabilize the country you brought into existence. I never thought that my feelings. They will make me sad. I will never forget his words and his pessimistic and frustrating tone. “

Jinnah told Dr. Ilahi Bakhsh, “You remember, when you first came to Ziyarat, I wanted to live, but now I want to die.”

Dr. Ilahi Baksh writes that “tears came to his eyes while uttering these words. On seeing a person who was considered far away from emotion and as stern as a soldier, Dr. Ilahi Baksh was stunned. Jinnah at that time was healthy, so he was more surprised by Jinnah’s submissive nature. When he asked for the reason, Jinnah said, ‘I have finished my work’. “

Dr. Ilahi Bakhsh writes, “My confusion got further aggravated by that answer and thought that he wanted to keep the real thing hidden and the reason he has given is to avoid it like that. I used to wonder if 5 weeks from today. Their work was not completed earlier and now it is complete. I could not live without realizing that there is something which has erased their desire to live. “

Fatima Jinnah has also written about this incident in her book, but she has written about it in different words.

She writes, “In the last days of August, there was a sudden disappointment on Jinnah. One day looking intently into my eyes, he said, ‘Fati … Now I am not interested in being alive. The sooner I leave, the better it is.’ ‘. “

“These were the words of Badshaguni. I shivered, as if I had touched the bare electric wire. Still I had patience and courage and said: Gin! You will get well soon. The doctors have full hope.”

“I smiled to hear this. Disappointment was hidden in that smile. He said: No … I don’t want to be alive anymore.”

September 1 to September 10: Preparations to return to Hemrage and Karachi

On September 1, 1948, Jinnah wrote a letter from Ziarat to the then Pakistan Navy chief General Douglas Gracie, which unfortunately proved to be his last tahrir.

In that letter, he wrote, “I have sent a copy of your letter to the vice-president of the Qaid-e-Azam Relief Fund and I have approved the help of 3 lakhs from that fund which is for the development of the military personnel of the land project. Is for

On the same day, Dr. Ilahi Bakhsh told Mrs. Fatima Jinnah in desperation that her brother was hemorrhaged and should be taken to Karachi immediately as the height of Quetta was not good for him. In the next days, Jinnah’s health deteriorated further. On September 5, doctors came to know that he was also attacked by pneumonia.

Dr. Ilahi Bakhsh wrote to Pakistan’s Ambassador to America, Mirza Abul Hasan Asafhani, that he should send some doctors for Jinnah. The names of those doctors were suggested by Dr. Fayyaz Ali Shah.

At the same time, Dr. Ilahi Bakhsh also summoned Dr. Mistry from Karachi to Quetta, but Jinnah’s health did not improve despite this.

This is a matter of those days when Jinnah’s secretary Farooq Amin wanted to meet Jinnah, then Dr. Ilahi Bakhsh refused to give permission even after he had told her many times. Dr. Ilahi Bakhsh wrote that “he was not told the name of the visitor, although the then Prime Minister of Hyderabad, Mir Laiq Ali, in a chapter in his book ‘Tragedy of Hyderabad’, titled ‘Jinnah on Death Bed’, It is written that he was the one who got these, although he could not manage to meet even after saying so many times.

On 10 September 1948, Ilahi Baksh informed Fatima that there was no hope of Jinnah surviving any longer and that he was now a guest for only a few days.

Perhaps on the same day Jinnah fainted. Constant words were coming out of his tongue in that unconsciousness. He was mumbling, “Kashmir … Give them the right to decide … Ain (Constitution) … I will complete (complete) it … very soon … Idioms … They are all possible … help …. Pakistan … “

September 11: Quetta to Karachi in two hours, Airport to Residency in two hours

On 11 September 1948, Jinnah was put on a stretcher and transported to his special aircraft Vikings. While he was being escorted to the plane, the staff gave him a salute and then everyone was surprised to see that Jinnah responded immediately despite this condition.

The movement of his hand made him feel that he had a sense of modality even on the bed of death.

The journey from Quetta to Karachi was completed in 2 hours. Jinnah was very restless during this. He was repeatedly given oxygen, sometimes by Fatima Jinnah and sometimes by doctor Elahi Baksh.

Doctor Mistry, Nurse Delham, Naval ADC Lieutenant Mazhar Ahmed and Jinnah’s Private Secretary Farukh Amin were boarding the aircraft.

The plane landed at Mari Pur’s airport with Jinnah at 4.15 pm. On the instructions of Jinnah, there was neither a big person from the government, nor the district administration had any information about his arrival.

Among those who welcomed him at the airport was none other than Lt. Col. Jeffery, the Military Secretary of the Governor General.

The Governor General’s staff put him on a stretcher and brought him into a military ambulance. Fatima Jinnah and Films Delham sat down with her while Dr. Ilahi Baksh, Doctor Mistry and Colonel Geoffrey boarded the Cadillac car of Jinah.

Jinnah’s ambulance must have traveled only 4 miles so that his engine stopped with one stroke due to exhausting petrol. With this, the Cadillac car, luggage truck and other vehicles coming behind the ambulance were also stopped.

Qayed-e-Azam was not able to stand for a moment on the way

Even delayed. The driver kept trying to fix the engine for 20 minutes. Finally, at the behest of Fatima Jinnah, the military secretary left to get another ambulance in her car and Dr. Mistry was also with her.

Ambulance was very humid here. It was also difficult to breathe. Even more than this restlessness was the hundreds of flies that were hovering over Jinnah’s face and they did not even have the courage to blow them.

Fatima Jinnah and Sister Delham kept swinging them with a piece of cardboard. Every moment was going through a lot of difficulty.

There was a long delay in going to Colonel Navell and Doctor Mistry, but neither the military ambulance engine was repaired and no other arrangements could be made.

Doctor Ilahi Bakhsh and Doctor Riaz used to see the pulse of his intention, which was sinking in comparison to the earlier. It was also not possible to shift Jinnah from ambulance to the car because the stretcher could not be kept in the car and Jinnah himself did not have enough courage to sit or lie in the car.

The surprising thing on this incident is that no one in the capital has even tried to know why the Quaid-e-Azam Governor General has not yet reached the house despite landing at the airport at four o’clock, where is his convoy and his How is your health

Some people say that there was a secret about Jinnah coming to Karachi, but were the high officials of the government really unaware of his arrival

Didn’t anyone even know that the Governor General’s special aircraft has been sent to Quetta that morning and that capital at any time in the evening Can i come in

Experts say that on 4 September 1948, when Cabinet Secretary General Chaudhary Mohammad Ali returned to Karachi after seeing the poor health of the Governor General, an emergency session of the Cabinet was called in the Prime Minister’s House the same evening. It is unlikely that Jinnah’s illness in that session But there is no debate.

After this, when Mir Laiq Ali returned to Karachi without meeting the Governor General, he informed Liaquat Ali Khan, Chaudhary Mohammad Ali and Sir Zafarullah Khan about the very serious condition of Jinnah on the residence of Ghulam Mohammad and Mir Laiq Ali’s According to “all the people were shocked”.

Against this backdrop does Jinnah’s arrival in Karachi signify the attitude of the government’s callous and bewildering picture? This question is still a matter of concern today.

The first High Commissioner of India in Pakistan, Mr. Prakash has also mentioned this incident in his book ‘Pakistan: Qayam and Ibtidai Situation’. He wrote that, “In those days Jamshed Mehta, the incharge of the local Red Cross was respected by everyone in Karachi. Later he told me that I got a message in the evening that a man is very ill. Can you send an ambulance for him Huh? This incident is at 5:30 in the evening. “

Colonel Novelz and Doctor Mistry returned with a second ambulance. It can be guessed that this will be the same ambulance mentioned by Mr. Prakash.

Jinnah was put on the stretcher and shifted to that ambulance and thus he reached the Governor General House at 6.10 pm.

The 9-mile route from the airport to the Governor’s House, which should have been completed in 20 minutes, was completed in about 2 hours. That means two hours from Quetta to Karachi and two hours from the airport to the Governor General House.

Jinnah did this difficult journey in such a situation that there is no example of this in our history.

Mr. Prakash wrote in his book, “At the time of Mr. Jinnah’s death, a cocktail party was taking place in the French Embassy. I mentioned the arrival of Mr. Jinnah to Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan at that party. , So he did not like it to be a commotion on his arrival. “

After reaching the Governor General House, Jinnah remained alive for only four and a half hours and during this time he remained almost unconscious. “

The doctors gave him an injection of strength and according to Dr. Ilahi Baksh, when he came to his senses and told Jinnah that he would soon recover, he said comfortably, “No … I will not be alive.”

According to Dr. Ilahi Baksh, these were the last words of Qa’id-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Dr. Riaz Ali Shah has written that Jinnah’s last words were “Allah …. Pakistan”.

While Fatima Jinnah writes in ‘My Brother’, “Jinnah opened his eyes after two hours of sleep, summoned me with his head and eyes and made a last-ditch attempt to talk with me with his lips in utter grief.” Fati …. Khuda Hafiz …. La Ilaha Illaallah Mohammedu Rasulullah. ” Then his head slid down to the right side and his eyes closed.