Pakistan Awards Top Civilian Honour to Bombay Doctors Who Treated Jinnah
· World · India Today, NDTV, Hindustan Times
Pakistan has approved the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, the country's highest civilian award, for two Indian doctors from Bombay who treated Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Physician Dr Jal Ratanji Patel and radiologist Dr Jal Dhaybho-Koo were nominated for maintaining the secrecy of Jinnah’s terminal tuberculosis diagnosis during the 1947 Partition. Historians have long argued that public knowledge of Jinnah's failing health at that time could have significantly altered the trajectory of the subcontinent's division. The nominations were announced by Pakistan’s Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, who chairs the Awards Committee. The award recognizes the doctors for their role in keeping the founder's condition known only to his immediate inner circle.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights a historically significant medical secret that influenced the political stability of the newly formed Pakistan during the 1947 Partition. It acknowledges the role of Indian medical professionals in a pivotal moment of South Asian history.
Read the original report — India Today
Join us on Telegram
Breaking news the moment it lands. At 10,000 members we ship the Android app.