KARACHI: “Liaquat Ali Khan lived and died so that Pakistan should live. Such a death suffered in the service of the nation and in furtherance of the high ideals for which Pakistan stands is not death but a conquest of death. It reveals the true secret of immortality, whether of individuals or of nations,” said Mr Ghulam Mohammad, Governor-General of Pakistan, in a broadcast to the nation on Friday [Oct 19]… .

“I am confident that the light of this flame will continue to illumine our path and no adversity will ever quench it. …” he said. … “It is with a heavy heart that I speak to you this evening. Three days ago our beloved leader, Mr Liaquat Ali Khan, fell a martyr to the bullets of an assassin. The Nation is still reeling under the shock of this dastardly act which … has removed from its midst its sagacious guide and true and devoted servant.

… “It is tragic to think that within four years of its existence Pakistan should have lost first its great founder, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and then its great architect Liaquat Ali Khan.”

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2026