Two Mumbai-based Parsi doctors — a physician and a radiologist — are set to receive Pakistan’s highest civilian honour, the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, for keeping the terminal illness of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah confidential, according to Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal.
Iqbal, who chaired the awards committee, announced their nomination in a post on X following the release of Pakistan’s civilian and military honours on August 14. He said the two doctors had “faithfully guarded” the secret of Jinnah’s critical health condition.
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Highlighting the historical significance of their decision, Iqbal said revealing Jinnah’s frail health at the time could have influenced the course of Partition and the creation of Pakistan in 1947.
He cited historians who consider the matter among the most consequential secrets of the 20th century. Iqbal also said Lord Mountbatten later indicated that knowing Jinnah was seriously ill could have prompted him to delay Partition.
