Congratulatory Telegrams to Governor-General M.A. Jinnah on the Birth of Pakistan

Sub title : Messages from East Africa, London, and Domestic Petitions from the Film Industry

Subject: Congratulations on Appointment as Governor-General of Pakistan | Birth of the Dominion of Pakistan | Diaspora Celebrations

Language: English

Page: 29 p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 28092

Keyword: Governor-General of Pakistan -- Dominion of Pakistan -- August 1947 | Anjuman Hilayatislam East Africa -- Nawab of Bahawalpur -- Sadiq Mohammad -- Pancholi Art Pictures -- Film Industry in Pakistan -- Lahore | Overseas Cable Communications -- Congratulations -- Pakistan Zindabad

Abstract: This collection captures the immediate aftermath of the creation of Pakistan in August 1947 through congratulatory telegrams addressed to M.A. Jinnah on his appointment as the first Governor-General of the new dominion. The messages span the globe: the Anjuman Hilayatislam of East Africa and Sadiq Mohammad, the ruler of the princely state of Bahawalpur (from London), express profound joy and offer prayers for the new nation's success. Domestically, a detailed telegram from the Northern India Film Producers Association and Pancholi Art Pictures in Lahore strikes a different tone; while pledging allegiance, it urgently appeals to Jinnah for protection of their film studio, highlighting it as the sole surviving film centre in Pakistan and requesting an interview. The collection also includes standard telegraph department forms with disclaimers, underscoring the communication medium of the era.

Description: This dossier marks a pivotal historical transition, documenting the moment M.A. Jinnah ascended from the leadership of a political movement to the constitutional head of a newly sovereign state. The international cables reflect the pride and hope of the Muslim diaspora. The appeal from the Lahore film industry is particularly significant, illustrating the practical and economic concerns that surfaced immediately after partition, as businesses and cultural institutions sought security and patronage in the nascent state. Together, these telegrams paint a picture of both jubilant celebration and the sobering onset of the immense responsibilities of nation-building, all channeled through the formal, rapid communication networks of telegraph and cable. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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