August 14 is an important date for both South Asia and the world on this day in 1947, Pakistan became an independent country after almost 200 years of British rule. The happiness of freedom came with the pain of one of the biggest and bloodiest migrations in history. In 1994, French authorities caught one of the world’s most wanted terrorists, Carlos the Jackal, in Sudan. August 14 has also seen as big political and sporting moments, from the signing of the Atlantic Charter in 1941 to Usain Bolt’s Olympic victory in 2016.
Pakistan’s Emergence as a Nation
Pakistan became independent on August 14, 1947, which was a major change in the history of the India. The country was created after the Pakistan Movement, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the All-India Muslim League but initially, Pakistan was set to share Independence Day with India on August 15. However, Lord Mountbatten could not be in both New Delhi and Karachi at the same time. The date was brought forward, and at midnight on August 14, power was transferred from Mountbatten to the new Dominion of Pakistan.
Jinnah spoke to the Constituent Assembly in Karachi, asking people to stay united, be tolerant, and give equal rights to everyone, no matter their religion. But the joy of independence was overshadowed by a huge migration, as millions of Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs crossed the new borders and faced terrible communal violence. Estimates suggest up to a million people lost their lives. The green-and-white national flag was adopted, representing Muslim identity and minority rights. The slogan “Pakistan Zindabad” echoed across the country as it began its journey toward becoming a sovereign Islamic state.
Carlos the Jackal’s Dramatic Arrest
August 14, 1994, also marked the end of a decades-long manhunt, Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, better known as Carlos the Jackal, had been a symbol of international terrorism in the 1970s and 1980s. He orchestrated bombings, hijackings, and assassinations in support of pro-Palestinian and revolutionary causes whereas his most infamous act was the 1975 Opec raid in Vienna, where over 60 hostages were taken and three people were killed.
By the 1990s, Carlos had gone underground but remained a high-value target. French intelligence discovered he was in Khartoum, Sudan, receiving treatment for varicose veins. In a covert operation, Sudanese authorities allowed French agents to apprehend him and on the night of August 14, operatives seized and sedated him. He was flown to Paris and charged with the 1975 murders of two French counterintelligence agents and an informant.
Other Milestones on This Day
2016: Usain Bolt won the 100 metres at his third consecutive Olympics in Rio, becoming the first to achieve the feat.
1941: Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt signed the Atlantic Charter, defining Allied goals in World War II.
1917: China announced war on Germany and Austria-Hungary, marking its official entry into World War I.
Read More: Why India and Pakistan Celebrate Independence on Different Dates
