Who were 2 Mumbai doctors who kept Jinnah's health secret, set to receive Pakistan’s highest civilian awards?
The announcement has brought back attention to a little-known episode from history, and also sparked interest among members of Mumbai's Parsi community.
Two Parsi doctors from Mumbai, Jal Patel and Jal Daeboo, will be posthumously honored with Pakistan's highest civilian award, the Nishan-e-Quaid-i-Azam, on March 23, 2027. The doctors are being recognized for their role in keeping the terminal tuberculosis of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, a secret. This decision, described as one of the most consequential secrets of the 20th century, allowed Jinnah to continue his final efforts for the country's creation.
The announcement has brought attention to a lesser-known episode in the history of the subcontinent and sparked interest among the Parsi community in Mumbai. Both doctors adhered to their Hippocratic oath and medical ethics by maintaining the confidentiality of Jinnah's condition. Pakistan's federal minister for planning, development and special initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary, acknowledged that if Lord Mountbatten had known about Jinnah's illness, he might have delayed Partition, potentially altering the course of history.
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