"A Cowardly Assault": The 1948 Attack on M.A. Jinnah

Sub title : Telegrams of Shock and Solidarity from a Nation

Subject: Muhammad Ali Jinnah | Political Assassination Attempt | Public Solidarity

Date of publication: 1948

Language: English

Page: 117 p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 27846

Keyword: Muhammad Ali Jinnah -- Assassination Attempt -- 1948 -- Indian Telegrams -- Cowardly Attack | Providential Escape -- Muslim League -- Public Support -- Political Violence -- Indian Posts and Telegraphs

Abstract: This collection comprises telegraph forms sent from various Indian cities to Muhammad Ali Jinnah following a brutal attack on his life in July 1948. The telegrams express profound shock, condemn the "cowardly" and "brutal" act, and offer fervent prayers for his health and long life. A consistent theme is the public's gratitude to God for his "miraculous" or "providential" escape. Senders, ranging from individual citizens to local Muslim League chapters, declare their unwavering loyalty, with some messages even stating that every Muslim is "prepared [to shed] blood" for him. These documents collectively illustrate the intense public emotion and the critical nature of this event in the nascent days of Pakistan.

Description: This is a continuation of the archival collection of original telegraph forms from July 1948. This set includes messages from locations such as Lucknow, Sandila, and Faizabad, further demonstrating the nationwide concern. The telegrams are filled with strong, emotional language, condemning the assailants as "hooligans" and celebrating divine intervention for Jinnah's survival. They serve as a powerful testament to Jinnah's stature and the deep anxiety felt by his supporters during a moment of extreme political crisis. The forms are valuable both for their textual content and as artifacts of period-specific bureaucratic communication. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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