Pakistan has proposed two Mumbai-based Parsi doctors for the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, the country’s highest civilian award

Pakistan has proposed two Mumbai-based Parsi doctors for the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, the country’s highest civilian award

¨     Pakistan has proposed two Mumbai-based Parsi doctors for the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, the country’s highest civilian award.

¨     The proposed honourees are Dr. Jal Ratanji Patel, a physician, and Dr. Jal Dhaybho-Koo, a radiologist.

¨     Both doctors were associated with Bombay (Mumbai) in 1946.

¨     The Nishan-e-Imtiaz is the highest civilian honour of Pakistan.

¨     It is awarded for distinguished contributions in fields such as public service, literature, arts, sports, and science.

¨     It is one of Pakistan’s major state honours.

¨     The award is presented by the President of Pakistan at formal investiture ceremonies.

¨     The two doctors are associated with the medical examination of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Bombay in 1946.

¨     Historical accounts state that they examined Jinnah’s X-rays.

¨     They reportedly concluded that Jinnah was suffering from terminal tuberculosis.

¨     His life expectancy was reportedly estimated at one to two years.

¨     The doctors maintained medical confidentiality regarding Jinnah’s condition.

¨     Their confidentiality became an important part of the historical narrative surrounding Jinnah’s illness.

¨     The account is mentioned in Freedom at Midnight, written by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre.

¨     Freedom at Midnight deals with the final years of British rule in India and the Partition of 1947.

¨     The Nishan-e-Imtiaz is Pakistan’s highest civilian honour.