The song that was sung on the last birthday of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was sung for the first time in front of the packed audience on Sunday by Pasha Yousaf Haroon on the concluding day of Lahore Literary Festival (LLF). At the age of 91, Pasha Haroon still looks energetic and her love for her country was clear to the 1,000 strong audience that attended her session titled “Pasha Haroon: Gilded Memories of Early Pakistan Years”.
Pasha Haroon, who is the niece of Sir Agha Khan III and daughter-in-law of Sir Abdullah Haroon, reminisced about her days, which passed with the nation’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinaah. As she sang the song which she had sung at the last birthday of Quaid-e-Azam, the audience clapped in time with the beat. As the song ended, the crowd exploded in applause and accorded her a standing ovation.
“It was the first birthday of Jinnah after the making of Pakistan. It was a private gathering of some close friends when I sang the song ‘Millat Kay Liye Aaj Ghaneemat Hy Tera Dam’ written by a poet hailing from Lahore.
The session was moderated by Hameed Haroon, another member of the Haroon family and CEO of Dawn Media Group. Haroon, who was assisted by Nusrat Jamil in the session, asked some interesting questions of Pasha Haroon.
The residence where Pasha Haroon used to live in Karachi was a place frequently visited by Jinnah as he had a close relationship with Pasha’s father-in-law Sir Abdullah Haroon.
Pasha Haroon revealed that the flag of Pakistan was finalised by Jinnah at her residence in Karachi when she was also in attendance.
“The flag was laid down at the table waiting for Jinnah’s approval. He said that the white part of the flag must be expanded further as it represents the minorities of Pakistan. Jinnah wanted minorities to come to Pakistan in great numbers and enjoy equal rights here,” she told a spellbound audience. Pasha said that in the elections of 1946, “I cast my vote ten times by going to the polling station in different disguises as I wanted Pakistan to be created at any cost”. Jinnah, however, was not pleased when he heard of her exploits on the day. “When I told this story to Jinnah in the evening, he shouted and said that I don’t want to get Pakistan by cheating. He did not talk to me after that event for a long time,” Pasha Haroon said.
She also talked about her affection for Fatimah Jinnah and said that she was a very loving person. “My husband used to go abroad frequently and whenever he was out of the country Fatima Jinnah took me to her home to stay there till my husband Yousaf came back.”
Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pasha said, was fond of wearing suits and was always properly dressed. She said that Jinnah’s funeral was held in a Shia graveyard and the arrangements were made by the Haroon family as Fatima Jinnah had asked for it.
In her concluding remarks, Pasha Haroon asked the Pakistani nation to live in peace and love as was dreamed by the Father of the Nation. “The intolerance, hatred and fanaticism that prevail in our society is so far away from Jinnah’s vision for this land.” Pasha Haroon closed the session with a slogan of Pakistan-Zindabad at the end.