Jinnah

Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876–1948) was a British Indian lawyer and statesman who founded Pakistan. Born on 25 December 1876 in Karachi, then part of the Bombay Presidency, he trained as a lawyer in London at Lincoln's Inn and was called to the bar in 1892. He practiced law in Bombay and became involved in politics as he pursued reforms for Indians under British rule.

Jinnah began his political career within the Indian National Congress but soon became a leading figure of the All-India Muslim League. He advocated for Muslim political rights and constitutional safeguards within a united India, and later argued that Muslims needed a separate nation if their rights could not be protected. The Lahore Resolution of 1940, which called for independent Muslim-majority states, is often cited as a milestone on the path to partition.

With the transfer of power from Britain in 1947, Pakistan gained independence, and Jinnah served as the country’s first Governor-General, a position he held until his death in 1948. He is commonly known by the title Quaid-i-Azam, the Great Leader, for his leadership role in the creation of Pakistan.

Jinnah’s legacy remains influential and debated. He is celebrated in Pakistan as the founder of the nation and a architect of its political framework, while others critique the implications of partition and the treatment of minorities in the new state, emphasizing ongoing disputes about national identity and secularism.