One piece of attire has long symbolised Pakistan's national ideology the Jinnah cap. Technically known as the Qaraqul cap, for it is made from the fur of the Qaraqul breed of sheep, the hat is typically worn by Central Asian men (presently, Afghan President Hamid Karzai is rarely seen without his). But in Pakistan, the hat has been firmly identified with the Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah for decades. This affiliation has ensured that others who sport the cap are understood to be making a political, rather than fashion, statement. Indeed, as Pakistan's democratic fortunes have waxed and waned over the years, the choice by certain politicians to don the Jinnah cap has revealed much about political aspirations and the public mood.

The Jinnah cap was first initiated into national politics in 1937, when Jinnah sported it at the Lucknow session of the All India Muslim League on October 15. The cap was part of a complete change in Jinnah's wardrobe; he surrendered his Saville Row suits in favour of a sherwani and Qaraqul cap meant to signify his commitment to the idea of a separate nation for the Muslims of South Asia.

Since then, the cap has graced many a brow vying for a successful political, even religious, career in the Land of the Pure. The hope is that the accessory will enhance popular support and, by extension, political clout. In its various deployments, the Jinnah cap would make an interesting case study for an esoteric European semiotician looking for research fodder.

For example, Altaf Hussain, once the staunch mohajir nationalist, now an avowed federalist, has exploited the cap's symbolism along with that of the Sindhi ajrak to facilitate his politics in Sindh. Another recent example of a politician channelling the cap's veneer of legitimacy is Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, who showed off his Jinnah in Lahore's sweltering heat. In both cases, the public figures remained in line with Jinnah's secular vision of Pakistan.

But for some, the Jinnah cap has always been intrinsically linked with Pakistan's Islamic identity. Jamaat-i-Islami chief Munawar Hasan, who almost always wears the Jinnah cap, explains, 'Quaid-i-Azam died too early in the country's history and politicians and other leaders naturally look up to him as the ideal example of leadership.' Hasan adds that, 'during the last few years of the Pakistan Movement, Jinnah completely changed his garb from western to eastern and Muslim. His cap was a manifestation of his Muslim identity.'

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