Death Anniversary of Liaquat Ali Khan (October 16, 1974)

Stamp is vertical in format. In an upright rectangle at the top right corner of the stamp - appears the portrait of Liaquat Ali Khan in black colour against dark red background. Urdu calligraphy for the lettering “Liaquat Ali Khan” ‘Prime Minister’ ‘14th August, 1947-l6th October, 1951’ appears below the portrait in red colour. The denomination figure ‘20-Paisa’ appears in black in the left corner at the bottom with the word ‘Postage’ above along side the left edge of the stamp. ‘Pakistan’ both in English and Urdu appears along side the top left edge of the stamp in black colour.
On 16th October, 1974 Pakistan Post Office is issuing a commemorative postage stamp of 20-Paisa denomination on Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan the first Prime Minister of Pakistan. Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan the 2nd son of late Ruknuddaulla Shamsher Jang Nawab Bahadur Rustam Ali Khan, was born at Karnal (Punjab) on 1st October, 1895. The ancestors of Liaquat Ali Khan claim their descent from Nausherwan the just, and migrated from Iran to India in 15th Century AD The Mughals conferred on his ances-tors the mansab of Punjhazari and granted them jagirs in the Punjab and United Provinces.
Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan graduated from Muslim University, Aligarh in 1919 and took his Master’s degree from Exeter College at Oxford in 1921. During his stay at Oxford he took active part in political debates and was appointed Treasurer of the Indian Maj1is. On return to India he did LL.B. with honours from the University of the Punjab and was called to the bar in 1922. He joined the All India Muslim League in 1923. He was elected to the U.P. Legislative Council in 1926. Being an excellent orator and parliamentarian he became Deputy President of U.P. Legislative Council in 1931 and continued to be a member of the House for 14 years. In recognition of his selfless devotion to the Muslim League he was elected as General Secretary of All India Muslim League in 1936. He was also convener of committee of action and Chairman of the Parliamentary Board of the Muslim League. He was elected to the Central Legislative Assembly in 1943 and re-elected as Honorary General Secretary of All India Muslim League in 1943 He was invited to participate in Simla Conference in 1945 and 1946. Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan was appointed as Finance Minister in the Interim Govern-ment as a nominee of the All India Muslim League.
On 14th August 1947 he was installed by the Quaid-e-Azam as the 1st Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Pakistan. He continued to head the Cabinet of Ministers till his death. He also became the President of Pakistan Muslim League on October 8, 1950. The most outstanding events of his tenure of office as Prime Minister of Pakistan were:
1) On March 7, 1948 he presented in the Consti-tuent Assembly the Objectives Resolution which contained the Fundamental Principles of Future Constitution of Pakistan. 2) Liaquat-Nehru Pact on minorities was concluded in April, 1950; and He visited America in 1950.
Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan took up the task of consolidating Pakistan where the Quaid had left. He exhorted his countrymen to keep alive the memory of the Quaid by following the principles he had laid down for them to have faith, to live in unity and work with discipline. Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan worked hard for the country’s progress and prosperity. He paid special attention to the problems of education, and laid the foundation of industrial development. Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan 1st Prime Minister of Pakistan’s 1st Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in Karachi with Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Father of the Nation extreme right. But the paramount need, at that time, was Pakistan’s defence and security. The way India was behaving was most disturbing, and its attitude towards Pakistan was threatening. Very much alive to the situation, Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan mobilized all possible resources to build up the Armed Forces. He was assassinated in a public meeting at Rawal-pindi on October 16, 1951.