The 125th birth anniversary of historic leader Chaudhry Rehmat Ali was observed on Wednesday across the country and tributes were paid to his active role in the history of Pakistan movement.
Chaudhry Rehmat Ali was born in a Muslim Gujjar family in Hoshiarpur District of Indian Punjab on November 16, in 1897. He is credited with coming up with the name for a separate Muslim homeland in South Asia, PAKISTAN.
After graduating from Islamia Madrassa, Lahore in 1918 he taught at Aitchison College before joining Punjab University (PU) to study law.
In 1930, he moved to England to join Emmanuel College Cambridge (ECC). In 1933, he published a pamphlet titled ‘Now or Never; Are We to Live or Perish Forever?’, coining the word ‘PAKISTAN’ for the first time.
In 1933, he founded the Pakistan National Movement (PNM) in England. Subsequently, he obtained a BA and MA degree from the University of Cambridge.
In 1943, he was called to the Bar Middle Temple Inn London.
Until 1947, he continued publishing various booklets about his vision for South Asia.
Chaudhry Rehman Ali died at the age of 53 on February 3, 1951, in Cambridge, England, United Kingdom (UK).
