1. WAS JINNAH KILLED?
BY Muneer Hamayoon
Was Jinnah Killed?
Muneer Hamayoon
(The writer is a social activist and can be reached at muneer@technologist.com )
It was July 26, 1948, Mr. Jinnah’s flight to Ziarat (Quetta). Neither the destination
nor the identity of Mr. Jinnah was disclosed to any of the flying crew except the
captain of the plane. The flight was kept a secret till the last minute. Khawaja
Nazimuddin, the President of the Muslim League had come to see off Quaid-e-
Azam at Mauripur (now Masrur) airfield which was also the first Air Headquarter
building of the Pakistan Air Force.
In a temporary arrangement white bed sheets had been hung up on either side of
the door. All necessary measures were taken to conceal the identity of the ailing
Mr. Jinnah. The hanging of the white bed sheets was so designed to provide
access to the ambulance between the make shift screen and the entrance.
Employment of utmost secrecy was surprising, keeping in view the condition of
Mr. Jinnah. Mr. Jinnah boarded the aircraft without any ceremony or lack of
proper observance of protocol. With the exception of a few ground personnel, not
even a single Officer was present to see the Quaid's last flight to Quetta. Mr.
Jinnah was lying on a stretcher in the passenger cabin surrounded by his
medical attendants and personal staff.
On arrival at Quetta, the same kinds of arrangements were provided for Mr.
Jinnah. As soon as the aircraft landed, a screen was placed on either side of the
ambulance which rushed to the entrance and Jinnah was taken to Ziarat.
1995). of Jinnah's flight to Quetta and lack of protocol was never explained to
Secrecy
the public. Wing Commander S.M. Ahmad who was the second pilot of this flight
was witness to these events (Remains of the Past, Interview with S.M. Ahmad
Later Col. Illahi Bakhsh was called at Ziarat by Mohterma Fatima Jinnah who
examined the Quaid. Next morning Civil Surgeon Quetta Dr. Siddiqui and Dr.
Mehmood clinical pathologist arrived with all the equipment and carried out the
Laboratory investigations and found the sputum to be positive for Tubercle
Bacilli. Subsequently Dr. Riaz Ali Shah, S.S Alam and Dr. Ghulam Muhammad
were summoned from Lahore who arrived with portable x-ray etc. Dr. Ghulam
Muhammad confirmed the Laboratory findings while x-rays showed extensive
damage to the lungs. His treatment started. A nurse Phyllis Dunham from Quetta
was engaged.
August 13th 1948, Quaid-e-Azam was moved from Ziarat to Quetta. Quaid-e-
Azam’s condition worsened on 7th Sept. The nurse reported that Quaid was

2. WAS JINNAH KILLED?
BY Muneer Hamayoon
restless and that oxygen was being given whenever the restlessness increased.
After the oxygen inhalation he would sleep for an hour or so.
September 11, 1948, they started from Quetta in Governor General’s Viking for
Karachi. On the way he was given oxygen by Miss. Jinnah and Illahi Bukhsh
alternatively. They arrived at the Mauri-pur (now Masrur) Aerodrome at 4.15 p.m.
When on last breath, he was motored seventy mile over mountains and flown to
Karachi. On the way back the ambulance got stalled in the foul smelling area of
Keamari, inhabited by the fishermen for drying fish in the sun. Another
ambulance was brought from Malir by Col. Geoffrey Knowles, Quaid’s Military
Secretary. The ambulance came too late. They reached their destination at 6:10
PM.
Col. Illahi Bakhsh was summoned to Quaid-e-Azam’s house at 9.15 when his
condition worsened. Dr. Mistry and Dr. Shah also reached there. They gave him
injections. “Sir, we have given you an injection to strengthen you, God willing you
are going to live”. The Quaid shock his head and said faintly ‘No I am not’. These
were the last words before he died at 10.20 PM.
However historians owe it to our next generations to write the truth and the
events of history in its true sense. Historical truths have often been suppressed
to save faces. We as a nation owe it to our great leader Quaid-e-Azam
Mohammad Ali Jinnah to come up with the explanation of events taking place
during the last few months of his life.
The Quaid-e-Azam is no more. He lived so that Pakistan may come into being.
He died so that Pakistan may live.
Sir Zafarulla at the funeral of the Founder Fatima Jinnah watching Dead Body