Published: Aug 20, 2026, 22:16 IST | Updated: Aug 20, 2026, 22:16 IST
Pakistan has announced its highest civilian award, the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, for two Bombay-based Parsi doctors who treated Muhammad Ali Jinnah and reportedly kept his terminal illness secret in the years leading up to Partition. The decision has reignited debate over whether Jinnah's failing health could have influenced the course of history had it become public knowledge earlier. Nearly eight decades after Partition, Pakistan is recognizing the doctors' role in one of the most closely guarded secrets surrounding the country's founder.