The National Anthem of Pakistan, approved by the Government in August, 1954, is a harmonious rendering of a three-stanza composition with a tune based on eastern music but arranged in such a manner that it can be easily played by foreign bands.

The Anthem is evocative in spirit, extolling Pakistan as the centre of faith and freedom, a land of beauty and strength drawn from the people and the country. The words touch upon the various facets of national life, with an invocation for the integrity of Pakistan.

The verses of the Anthem have been composed by a renowned poet of Pakistan, Abul Asar Hafeez Jullundhri; while the tune has composed by Ahmed G. Chagla, the well-known musician and composer.

The search for a suitable National Anthem was long and thorough. In December 1948, a committee was constituted by the Government under the chairmanship
of Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar for this purpose. A tune composed by Mr. Ahmed G. Chagla, a member of the Tunes Sub-committee was selected in 1950 provisionally for use as an anthem on ceremonial occasions. This composition was played during the visits to Pakistan of foreign Heads of State/Government and on the occasion of visits abroad by Heads of State and Government of Pakistan.

The tune, which was finally approved for the National Anthem in June 1954, is entirely eastern in composition as its passages are based on different ‘raags’ or melody modes, such as “Tilak Kamod’, ‘Bilawal’, ‘Kohiari’, ‘Pelu’ and ‘Dhanasiri’. These melody forms were introduced in the music of the South Asian region during the Muslim period. The whole composition, however, is so arranged as to conform to internationally acceptable music forms and can be easily interpreted by foreign bands without suffering any mutilation.

The search for suitable words for the National Anthem which would accord with the music set by Mr. Chagla ended with the approval in August, 1954 of the composition written by Hafeez Jullundhri. The three-stanza (with five lines each) composition is free of alliteration and discordance and has been so structured as to be easily adopted to the tune, providing a harmonious and pleasing rendition.

The Anthem written in Urdu is a unique poetical composition, as in spite of its brevity it is a lyrical exultation for the quintessence of Pakistan, its Islamic foundation, ideology, ethos, aspirations and its intrinsic strength.

NATIONAL FLORAL SYMBOL

The Jasmine (popularly known as Chambeli) was adopted as the floral symbol of Pakistan by the Government in 1954. The flower is common to all parts of the country and can be found adorning houses in villages as well as growing in elegant gardens in the cities. Its association with Pakistan can be traced back many millennia.

There are historic references which recall the jasmine as a favourite of sages and. kings. Poets have immortalised it in their lyrics and poems, while a celebrated bard has described it as a symbol of beauty and purity. Jasmine also found favour with the Mughal rulers who grew it in the shape of large groves in their magnificent gardens. During full bloom, it not only provided an aesthetic decoration to the landscape, but its scent was found soothing also to the mind. The flower appears extensively in the paintings and murals of the Mughal period.

A delicate small flower, white or yellow in colour, the jasmine grows in clusters on shrubs which have shining leaves, and emanates a gentle, haunting fragrance.

The word ‘jasmine’ is the Europeanised form of the Persian ‘yasmin’, which means chambeli. Jasmine is also the common name for the genus Jasminum of the olive family which contains as many as 300 species. Many varieties of the plant are found in Pakistan, the most common being the ones with white, yellow and light yellow flowers. Generally described as the ‘summer queen’, jasmine blooms in summer. It can be grown easily with a minimum of effort. It needs plenty of water, manure and sunshine to flourish.

As a national flower, the jasmine is generally used in a symbolical form for representation in the country’s art and handicrafts, and as a motif in decorative murals. In many ways the flower articulates popular aesthetic sentiments of the people and the nation’s cultural heritage.