Today marks Pakistan’s 78th Independence Day. It celebrates its Independence Day on 14th August, and India celebrates it a day later, i.e., on 15th August. The surprising thing is that both these countries got freedom from British rule on the same day. In such a situation, it is natural to raise questions. At some point, you may naturally wonder, “Why do both countries celebrate their Independence Day a day before or after, instead of celebrating it together?” Let us understand why Pakistan celebrates its independence a day before, i.e., on 14th August.
For this one reason, Pakistan celebrates its Independence Day on 14 August.
As everyone is well aware, British rule freed India and Pakistan on the same day. In fact, both countries achieved independence simultaneously under the ‘Indian Independence Act 1947’. The attainment of this independence took place at midnight. This is all well and beneficial up to this point, but why does Pakistan celebrate its independence a day earlier? This is because at the time of India and Pakistan’s independence, Lord Mountbatten held the position of Viceroy of India. At the time of independence, it was 12 o’clock in the night in India, and it was 11:30 pm in Karachi, the capital of Pakistan. This is because Pakistan is half an hour (or 30 minutes) behind India. The time in Karachi was 11:30, while Delhi was 12. Pakistan celebrates its Independence Day a day earlier, i.e., on August 14th, due to being half an hour behind.
There are other reasons, too..
According to some reports, 14 August 1947 was the 27th day of Ramzan. This day is called Shab-e-Qadr. Islamic belief holds that this day marks the revelation of the Quran. Keeping this religious significance in mind, Pakistan celebrates its independence on 14 August. Another significant reason for the celebration is the impossibility of simultaneously liberating both countries. Viceroy Lord Mountbatten, the representative of the British Government at the time, was unable to travel to both Delhi and Karachi simultaneously. As a result, he liberated Pakistan on the night of August 14 and India on August 15. This is the reason Pakistan celebrates its independence a day early.
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