Funeral of Liaquat Ali Khan

Funeral of Liaquat Ali Khan
Part of the aftermath of the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan
Date17 October 1951 (1951-10-17)
VenueKarachi Polo Ground, Karachi, Pakistan

Liaquat Ali Khan, the first prime minister of Pakistan, was buried in Karachi on 17 October 1951, one day after he was assassinated while addressing a public meeting in Rawalpindi.[1][2] His body was flown from Rawalpindi to Karachi, then the capital of Pakistan, on the night of 16 October.[3]

Funeral prayers were held at Karachi Polo Ground, where about a quarter of a million people gathered to pay their respects.[4] The cortege then moved slowly through streets lined with mourners before the burial in Karachi beside the resting place of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.[4][5] A 41-gun salute was given.[6]

Background

Liaquat Ali Khan had served as Pakistan's first prime minister since independence in 1947. On 16 October 1951, he was shot at close range while addressing a public meeting at Company Bagh in Rawalpindi.[2][7] He was taken to hospital and given a blood transfusion, but died shortly afterwards.[7]

His assassination created an immediate political crisis in Pakistan, but arrangements were quickly made to transport his body to Karachi for burial the following day.[3]

Funeral and burial

Liaquat's body was flown to Karachi on the night of 16 October 1951.[3] The main public funeral ceremony took place on 17 October 1951 at Karachi Polo Ground.[4] An estimated quarter of a million people were gathered to attend the funeral prayers.[4]

After the prayers, the cortege proceeded slowly toward the burial grounds.[4] Thousands of people lined the route, while cavalry of the Governor-General's bodyguard, wearing scarlet uniforms and carrying lances, accompanied the procession.[4] He was buried in Karachi on the afternoon of 17 October 1951.[6][4] A 41-gun salute was given in Karachi at the time of burial.[6] He was laid to rest beside Muhammad Ali Jinnah.[5]

Reaction

The assassination and funeral drew condolences from abroad. Jawaharlal Nehru described Liaquat as the dominant figure in Pakistan after Jinnah's death and as a steadying influence on the country.[7] U.S. President Harry S. Truman sent messages of condolence to Begum Liaquat Ali Khan and to Governor-General Khawaja Nazimuddin, describing Liaquat's death as a grievous blow to Pakistan and praising his leadership and statesmanship.[8]

Legacy

Liaquat Ali Khan's funeral was one of the first major state mourning ceremonies in Pakistan's history and marked the burial of the country's first head of government.[4] His grave in Karachi became a site of annual commemoration, and he is widely remembered in Pakistan as Shaheed-i-Millat ("Martyr of the Nation").[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kazimi, Muhammad Reza. "Special report: The legendary Liaquat 1895-1951". Dawn. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  2. 1 2 "PAKISTAN: The Murder of Liaquat". Time. 22 October 1951. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Hasan, K. Sarwar (2008). "The Foreign Policy of Liaquat Ali Khan". Pakistan Horizon. 61 (1/2): 37–52. JSTOR 23726004. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Hundreds of Thousands Pay Tribute to Liaquat Ali Khan". The Mercury. Australian Associated Press. 18 October 1951. p. 2. Retrieved 5 April 2026 – via Trove.
  5. 1 2 3 "Liaquat Ali Khan remembered on death anniversary". Dawn. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 "Special Note: The Assassination of the Prime Minister of Pakistan". CIA Reading Room. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 "Liaquat Ali Khan's Assassination (16 October 1951)". The Nehru Archive. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  8. ↑ "Messages on the Death of Liaquat Ali Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan". Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. 16 October 1951. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
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