Netizens criticized Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb for misquoting facts on the history of Pakistan’s national anthem.
Aurangzeb was addressing the press conference on the release of the re-recorded national anthem of Pakistan on the 75th Independence anniversary of Pakistan. While talking to the media, she misquoted the fact that the first Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan launched the first national anthem in 1954. Adding that now, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is launching the re-recorded and upgraded version of Pakistan’s national anthem after 68 years.
Netizens pointed out that she passed a factually incorrect statement as Liaquat Ali Khan had passed away in 1951. They asked how come Khan released the national anthem three years later after his death.
Historical facts state that Pakistan got the tone and composition of the national anthem in 1949 but got the lyrics in 1952 after a nationwide competition organized by the government of Pakistan inviting poets and writers to pen down lyrics on the approved composition and tone of the national anthem.
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Pakistan’s national anthem was composed by musician Ahmed G Chhagla in 1949. Only the music of the anthem played during the official visit of the head of state to Pakistan. Only the music of the anthem was played during the official visit of Liaquat Ali Khan to the USA in 1950.
A committee was formed in 1948 National Anthem Committee which was tasked to produce the national anthem of Pakistan. However, the committee failed to produce any work by 1952.
Hence, the national competition was organized and the lyrics of Hafiz Jallundari were adopted out of 723 for the approved composition of the anthem. He was awarded the prize money was Rs10,000.
The first national anthem was sung by Ahmed Rushdi, Shamim Bano, Kokab Jehan, Rasheeda Begum, Najam Ara, Naseema Shaheen, Zwar Hussain, Akhtar Abbas, Ghulam Dastgir, Anwar Zaheer, and Akhtar Wassi. It was officially released on Radio Pakistan on August 13th, 1954.