Pakistan Zindabad


Pakistan Zindabad (پاکستان زِنده باد — Pākistān Zindah bād, ; meaning, "Victory to Pakistan" is a slogan used by Pakistanis as an expression of victory or patriotism, often used in political speeches. Its use started even before the creation of Pakistan, during the later phase of the Pakistan Movement. The slogan became a battle cry and greeting for the Muslim League, which was struggling for an independent country for the Muslims of South Asia, when World War II ended and the independence movement geared up. During the partition the slogan was shouted when trains transporting Muslims entered Pakistan. Pakistan Zindabad is the national slogan of Pakistan.

Etymology

The slogan is a use of the standard Urdu and Persian suffix Zindabad that is placed after a person or a country name. It is used to express victory, patriotism or as a prayer. In literal translation, Pakistan Zindabad means "Long Live Pakistan"; it also is rendered as "Victory to Pakistan".

History

The Pakistan Zindabad slogan was first raised during the Pakistan Movement. Muslims at that time often wrote the slogan on handkerchiefs or pillowcases. The slogan was equally heard as Jai Hind during a visit by a British parliamentary delegation led by Robert Richards to Delhi, after the British government decided to leave India. On 23 December 1940, the Bihar Muslim Student Federation passed a resolution to adopt Pakistan Zindabad as their national slogan at every meeting, conference or gathering. In 1941, during the days of the Pakistan Movement, Muhammad Ali Jinnah on a visit to Ootacamund was received by a crowd of Muslims chanting Pakistan Zindabad; among them was a young boy of about 10 years age, who was scantily clothed. Jinnah called him and asked, "You were shouting Pakistan Zindabad, what do you know about Pakistan?" The boy replied, "I do not know very much about Pakistan. I only know that Pakistan means Muslim rule where many Muslims live, and Hindu rule where Hindus live," to which Jinnah observed that his message had reached the people and remarked that now the struggle for Pakistan was unstoppable.
During the fight for an independent Pakistan the cry of Pakistan Zindabad was raised by the locals to welcome the refugees coming to Pakistan. The refugees also raised the cry in jubilation when they crossed the border. The slogans of Pakistan Zindabad and its counterpart, Hindustan Zindabad, notably found negative usage in communal riots associated with the fight for independence.
On 14 August 1947, Muhammad Ali Jinnah's motorcade was welcomed by shouts of Pakistan Zindabad, Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad and flower petals all along his way from the Governor General's residence to the Constituent Assembly building and back, where he attended the Proclamation of Independence and a hoisting ceremony of the Pakistan flag.

Battle cry

In 1947, during the First Kashmir War, an outpost of the Jammu and Kashmir State force that were under the operational control of Indian Army reported cries of Pakistan Zindabad coming from Haji Pir Pass. Assuming that the pass was invaded and occupied by Pakistanis, the Jammu and Kashmir State forces withdrew from the area and burnt a strategically important bridge. They later discovered it was a false alarm; the men were friendly forces of the Indian Army occupying the pass, who were cut off from Poonch after the bridge was blown away.

Notable usage

Political

The Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz in a meeting with Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Pervez Kayani repeatedly raised the slogan to show his friendship with Pakistan, during his visit to the country in 2009.

Use in India

On 6 July 1948, the Indian Police raided a brass merchant's shop in Moradabad, after being informed that the shop had utensils with "Pakistan Zindabad" markings on them. During the Muharram Processions in 1956, following communal discord Muslim youths raised the slogan; later in the same year it was heard during a procession organized by students of the Aligarh Muslim University, in protest against a book Religious Leaders published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan; however, raising of any anti-nationalism slogan was denied by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in the Indian parliament.
The slogan has also been raised in Indian-administered Kashmir continuously.). In 1985, a Kashmiri was detained by the local police on a number of charges including raising of the slogan "Pakistan Zindabad", which was called an anti-national and provocative slogan. On 13 October 1983, during a limited over cricket match between West Indies and India at Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, Srinagar, spectators, including a group of spectators consisting of members of the Jamait-Tuleba, the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami, cheered India's defeat with cries of Pakistan Zindabad.

National days