Since the birth of the nation, there have been a number of notable personalities who have made significant contributions to Pakistan and, in some cases, even the world. These individuals come from a variety of fields, including politics, military, sports, and entertainment, and have helped to shape the course of Pakistani history. Graana.com has compiled a list of the most famous personalities from Pakistan. From influential political leaders to world-renowned athletes, these individuals have left a lasting legacy and continue to inspire future generations.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a prominent Pakistani politician and statesman who is known for his role in the creation of Pakistan as an independent country. He was born in Karachi in 1876 and studied law at Lincoln’s Inn in London.
He began his political career as a member of the Indian National Congress, but later joined the All India Muslim League, a political party that advocated for the creation of a separate Muslim state in the Indian subcontinent.
Jinnah played a key role in the negotiations that led to the partition of India in 1947, and he became the first governor-general of Pakistan when the country gained independence.
He is widely respected in Pakistan as the “Quaid-e-Azam” (Great Leader) and is considered one of the most important figures in the country’s history. Jinnah died in 1948, just one year after Pakistan gained independence.
Muhammad Iqbal was a philosopher, poet, and politician who is known for his contributions to the development of the concept of Pakistan. He was born in Sialkot, India (now Pakistan) in 1877 and studied philosophy and literature in the UK.
Allama Iqbal is best known for his poetry, which had a strong influence on the independence movement in the Indian subcontinent and is considered a major contribution to the development of a separate Muslim state.
In addition to his poetry, Iqbal was also an influential political figure and served as the president of the All India Muslim League. He died in 1938.
Liaquat Ali Khan was a Pakistani politician who served as the country’s first Prime Minister. He was born in Karnal, India (now in Pakistan) in 1895 and studied law at the University of Oxford. He was also a key member of the All-India Muslim League.
Liaquat Ali Khan was Pakistan’s first prime minister from 1947 to 1951 and is credited with establishing the country’s government and economic policies. He was assassinated in 1951.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto served as the country’s president from 1971 to 1973 and as its prime minister from 1973 to 1977. He was born in Larkana, India (now Pakistan) in 1928 and studied law at Oxford University. He founded the political party Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in 1967.
Bhutto was a controversial figure in Pakistan and faced opposition from both religious and secular groups. He implemented a number of economic and social policies that were aimed at improving the lives of the country’s underprivileged citizens, but he also faced criticism for his authoritarian rule.
In 1977, Bhutto was removed from office in a military coup and was later tried and convicted of murder. He was hanged in 1979.
Benazir Bhutto was a Pakistani politician who served as the prime minister of Pakistan twice, first from 1988 to 1990 and then again from 1993 to 1996. She was the daughter of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
Benazir was the first woman to lead a Muslim-majority country and was a strong advocate for democracy and women’s rights. She faced opposition and challenges during her tenure, including allegations of corruption and a strained relationship with the military.
Just like her father, Benazir was a controversial figure in Pakistan, but she was also widely admired for her commitment to equality and her contributions to the women’s movement. She was assassinated in 2007 while campaigning for the upcoming parliamentary elections. Her death was met with widespread condemnation and sparked protests throughout the country.
Abdul Sattar Edhi was a Pakistani philanthropist and humanitarian who founded the Edhi Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides medical and social services to the poor in the country. He was born in Gujarat, India (now in Pakistan) in 1928 and grew up in Karachi.
Edhi was deeply committed to helping those in need and dedicated his life to providing assistance to the needy, sick, and disadvantaged.
He established a number of charitable organizations and hospitals, and his work was recognized and appreciated both in Pakistan and internationally. He received numerous awards and honors for his humanitarian work, including the Presidential Award for Pride of Performance in 1989 and the Gandhi Peace Prize in 2006.
Edhi died in 2016 at the age of 88. He is remembered as a compassionate and selfless leader who made a lasting impact on Pakistani society.
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate to date. She was born in 1997 in the Swat District of Pakistan and gained international attention in 2012 when a Taliban gunman shot her for advocating for girls’ education.
Malala survived the attack and continued to speak out on the importance of education for young girls. She has received numerous awards and honors for her work, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
Malala is known for her bravery and determination in the face of adversity, and she has inspired people around the world with her message of hope and equality.
Imran Khan is a Pakistani politician and former cricketer who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan. He was born in 1952 in Lahore and played international cricket for Pakistan for two decades. After retiring from cricket, he entered politics and founded the political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
He was elected as the Prime Minister in 2018. During his tenure, he focused on issues such as corruption, poverty, and economic development, and pursued a policy of improving relations with other countries, particularly those in the Middle East.
Moreover, he has faced criticism and controversy during his term in the office, but he remains a popular figure in Pakistan and is known for his philanthropy and charitable work.
Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan is a Pakistani nuclear scientist and metallurgical engineer who is known for his role in the development of the nation’s nuclear weapons program. He was born in 1936 in Bhopal, India (now in Pakistan) and studied metallurgy in Belgium before returning to Pakistan in the 1970s.
Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan is credited with leading the country’s efforts to develop nuclear weapons and is often referred to as the “father of the Pakistani bomb”.
He has faced controversy and criticism, including allegations of nuclear proliferation and espionage, and was placed under house arrest in 2004. He remains a controversial and influential figure in Pakistan and is widely regarded as a national hero by many Pakistanis.
Dr. Israr Ahmed was a Pakistani Islamic scholar, writer, and thinker who was known for his teachings on Islam. He was born in 1932 in Hisar, India (now in Pakistan), and received his education in Pakistan.
Dr. Israr Ahmed was the founder of the Tanzeem-e-Islami. It is a political and religious organisation that promotes Islamic teachings in the country. Moreover, he was also a prominent speaker and writer, and his lectures and books on Islam were widely circulated and influential among Muslims around the world.
Dr. Israr Ahmed died in 2010 at the age of 78. He is remembered as a highly respected and influential figure in the Pakistani Islamic community and is regarded as a leading figure in the global Islamic revivalist movement.
General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was a Pakistani military officer and politician who served as the president of Pakistan from 1978 until his death in 1988. He came to power after leading a military coup that overthrew the government of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
During his presidency, Zia implemented a number of Islamic policies and strict Sharia law. Moreover, he also supported the Afghan mujahideen in their fight against the Soviet Union during the Soviet-Afghan War. Zia died in a plane crash in 1988, and his rule was marked by controversy and criticism from some quarters.
Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani politician who served as the prime minister of Pakistan on three separate occasions. He was first elected in 1990 but was later removed from office in 1993 by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan on corruption charges.
Nawaz Sharif was then re-elected in 1997 and served until 1999 when he was overthrown in a military coup led by General Pervez Musharraf.
He was again elected as prime minister in 2013 but was later disqualified from holding public office by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2017 on corruption charges. Moreover, he is also one of the richest people in Pakistan.
Born in 1931 in Kohat, Ahmed Faraz was a Pakistani Urdu poet, known for his social and political poetry. He completed his studies at the University of Peshawar.
He produced several notable works, including ‘Tanha Tanha, ‘Nawa-e-Wafa’, and ‘Kulliyat-e-Faraz’ which were widely popular in Pakistan as well as other countries. Faraz received several awards, including the Pride of Performance award from the Government of Pakistan. He passed away in 2008.
Wasim Akram is a former Pakistani cricketer. He made his debut for the Pakistan national cricket team in 1984. Now people consider him as one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of cricket. He is primarily known for his ability to swing the ball both ways. Furthermore, Wasim Akram has played for Pakistan in 104 test matches and 356 ODI matches and took a total of 981 wickets across both formats.
Moreover, Wasim Akram was also a part of the Pakistani team when it won the 1992 Cricket World Cup, under the captaincy of Imran Khan. For his performance, he received numerous awards, including the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1993.
He retired from international cricket in 2003 and now works as a coach and commentator. Currently, he is also the president and bowling coach of the PSL (Pakistan Super League) team Karachi Kings.
Atif Aslam is a Pakistani singer and actor who has become one of the most popular artists in South Asia. He has released numerous hit songs in both Hindi and Urdu. He made his debut as a singer in 2003 with the album “Jal Pari”.
Since then, he released several successful albums, including ‘Doorie’, ‘Meri Kahani’, and ‘Mahi Ve’. Atif Aslam has also acted in a number of Pakistani films and has received praise for his performances.
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