XXVII Olympic Games- SYDNEY-2000. (2000-10)

 

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan came into being in 1947 after independence with the withdrawal of Great Britain from its Indian Empire. Its area is 801,400 square km. with a population of 117,490,000 (in 1991). The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad. The languages are Urdu, English (both official), Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtu Baluchi and Brahvi. The religions are Sunni Muslims 77% and Shiite Muslims 23%.

The Pakistan Olympic Association was founded in 1947 and recognised by the International Olympic Committee the same year. Pakistani players first competed at the London Olympic Games in 1948. They did not attend the 1980 Moscow Games. They have not yet competed at the Olympic Winter Games.

The Olympic history of Pakistan does not start in 1948, as Pakistanis were part of the all-Indian delegations before, and mainly were players in the field hockey team. Pakistan owes almost its entire Olympic success to one sport - field hockey. They won a medal in this sport at every celebration from 1956 through 1984, fourth in 1948 and 1952, fifth in 1988, and again third in 1992. In 1960 they won the gold medal, defeating India in the final and ending its 20 year Olympic wining streak. They again won the gold medal in 1968 and 1988.

HOW THE PAKISTAN TEAM STARTED IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Sports	1948	1952	1956	1960	1964	1968	1972	1976	1984	1988	1992	Total
Athletics	5	17	18	12	6	-	5	2	4	7	4	80
Boxing	3	4	6	4	4	-	2	2	4	2	4	35
Cycling	2	2	4	2	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	14
Hockey	18	11	14	15	16	13	15	16	15	15	16	164
Shooting	-	1	2	4	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	12
Swiming	4	2	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	10
T. Tennis	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1
W.Lifting	2	1	3	2	1	-	1	2	-	-	-	12
Wrestling	-	-	6	7	6	2	2	2	2	3	1	31
Yachting	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6	2	2	10
Team Total	34	38	57	46	42	15	25	24	31	30	27	369

 

	GOLD	SILVER	BRONZE	TOTAL
Boxing	-	-	1	1
Field Hockey	3	3	2	8
Wrestling	-	-	1	1
TOTAL	3	3	4	10

 

Olympic philately started with the first Olympic Games of the modern era, in 1896. A special set of 12 stamps was issued, and the revenue earned was used for the benefit of the Organising Committee. The venues were constructed, and the Games could start. Since 1896, special postal services, commemorating stamps, special cancellations and other philatelic documents were associated with all Olympic Games.

Pakistan issued its first Olympic stamps in 1969, to honour its field hockey team which won a gold medal in the 1968 Mexico Games, again in 1984 for the Los Angeles Games, 1988 for the Seoul Games, in 1991 on special Olympic Games and finally in 1996 for Atlanta Games. A stamp to commemorate a century of Olympic Games, depicting Pierre de Coubertin and the Athens Stadium was also issued.

The modern game of hockey, was developed in England in the late 19th century. It spread throughout the British Empire and as a result most of the dominating nations in the sport have been nations who are, or were, members of that Empire. This includes Pakistan, India, Australia, New Zealand and England. Field-Hockey appeared on the Olympic Games program in 1908 and 1920. In 1928 it was held in Amsterdam and it has been on Olympic sport since then. In 1980, hockey for women was first included as an Olympic Sport, in Greece.

Since 1948, with the exception of 1980, Pakistan participated in all the Olympic field-hockey tournaments and won 8 medals including 3 gold medals. To honour the Pakistan success in this sport, one stamp is dedicated to field-hockey.

Boxing:

made its first appearance in 1904 at the St. Louis Olympic Games. All the entrants were Americans and the event doubled as the AAU Championships for that year. Boxing was again contested at the 1908 Olympic in London. In 1912, boxing could not be on the Olympic program because boxing was illegal in Sweden at that time. Since 1920, boxing has been on the programme of every Olympic Games. 45 countries have won medals in boxing.

Pakistani boxers participated in all the Olympic Games, with the exception of 1968. After hockey, boxing is the sport in which the largest number of Pakistan athletes competed. The first Olympic medal was won by Hussein Shah Syed, born on 14-8-1964. He won a bronze medal in Seoul in 1988, in the Middleweight class.

Wrestling:

With the possible exception of athletics, wrestling is the most ancient sport to have been continuously practiced as a competitive sport. Wrestling was introduced into the ancient Olympics in 708 B.C., shortly after that the recorded history of Games begins in 776 B C.

Only in 1900 the wrestling was not on the Olympic programme. There are four main forms of amateur competitive wrestling practiced in the world; GrecoRoman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, judo wrestling and sombo wrestling. Judo is considered a separate sport and the Olympic Sombo is a combination of freestyle and judo and is most popular in Russia but it has not yet been contested in the Olympics. Currently, both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling are contested at the Olympics and both have been held since 1920. Prior to that (except in 1908), only one form was used, usually which is Greco-Roman.

The Freestyle wrestling is similar to the American collegiate style, or folk-style wrestling. Holds are relatively unlimited, provided they are not dangerous, and can be applied to any part of the body. Greco-Roman wrestling limits holds to the upper body.

Pakistani wrestlers participated in all Olympic Games sine 1964. After hockey and boxing wrestling is the sport in which the Pakistani athletes competed most. The first Olympic medal was won by Muhammad Bashir, born on 23-12-1934. He won a bronze medal in Rome, in 1960, in freestyle wrestling in the Welterweight class.

Courtesy: (international Olympic Committee.

To commemorative the xxvii Olympic games, Sydney - 2000 Pakistan Post Office is issuing a set of 4 commemorative Postage stamps of Rs. 4/- denominati

Nishan-e-Haider, Major Tufail & Capt. Sarwar (Shaheed) (2000-9)

I.Captain Muhammad Sarwar (Shaheed) Nishan-e-Haider

Born in Lyallpur (Faisalabad) in 1910 in a family from Sanghori, District Rawalpindi, Captain Sarwar was commissioned to the Punjab Regiment in 1944. While serving as Company Commander in the 2nd Battalion of the Punjab Regiment during the Kashmir Operations he launched an attack on July 27,1948, against a strongly fortified enemy position in the Un Sector. When his company was within fifty yards of the enemy, it came under heavy machinegun, grenade and mortar fire, causing heavy casualties and frustrating their advance. Displaying remarkable courage and leadership, Captain Sarwar led a platoon in a flanking movement to within twenty yards of the enemy bunkers. Here he was obstructed by barbed wire. Undaunted by the obstacle, he moved the rest of the company forward, silencing the enemy machine guns with grenades. Undeterred by volley after volley of enemy bullets, although he had already been hit in the right shoulder, he took over a Bren gun of his platoon, after its gunman was killed, and continued firing into the enemy concentration. He then moved forward with six of his men to cut the barbed wire when a burst of automatic fire riddled his chest and he fell. Captain Sarwar thus became the first soldier to be awarded Pakistan\'s highest gallantry award of Nishan-e-Haider.

II.Major Tufail Muhammad (Shaheed), Nishan-e-Haider

Born in Hoshiarpur in 1914, Major Tufail Muhammad was commissioned in 1943 into the 16 Punjab Regiment. After a distinguished career, which included several instructional and command appointments in his own Battalion and also in the Civil Armed Forces, he was posted to the East Pakistan Rifles in 1958 as a Company Commander.

Early in August, 1958, he was assigned the task of clearing some Indian troops entrenched in Lakshmipur area. He executed a faultless night march in the small hours of August 7 and encircled the Indian post. Leading his men to about 15 yards of the enemy, he led the assault party from the rear. When the Indians opened machine gun fire, Major Tufail was the first to be hit. Bleeding profusely, he lobbed a grenade and silenced the machine-gun. With the flame of his life gradually fading away, he continued to direct the operation. When another enemy machine-gun opened fire, killing his second in command, Major Tufail destroyed that gun too with a well-aimed grenade. During the hand-to-hand encounter that followed, he noticed the commander of the Indian post moving stealthily to attack one of his men. Though mortally wounded, Major Tufail crawled towards the enemy commander. He stretched out one of his legs and as the enemy stumbled he hit him in the face with his steel helmet, saving his comrade. He continued to lead his troops till the Indians were driven out leaving four of their dead and three prisoners behind. Major Tufail later succumbed to his wounds the same day.

To commemorate the auspicious occasion (Defence Day of Pakistan) Pakistan Post is issuing a set of two commemorative postage stamps of Rs 5/- denomination each on September 6, 2000, on Captain Muhammad Sarwar (Shaheed) and Major Tufail Muhammad (Shaheed).

Sarfaroshaane Tehreeke Pakistan. (2000-8)

 

The first brick in the foundation of Pakistan was laid in 712 A D when Mohammad Bin Qasim anchored at Debal Port (now known as Karachi) freed the Muslim women and children from the prisons of Raja Dahir and constructed the first mosque at the town. Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad All Jinnah, the Founder of Pakistan, acclaimed the event - \'the Pakistan Movement started when the first Muslim put his foot on the soil of Sindh, the Gateway of Islam in India.\"

Pakistan Movement is synonymous with the very spirit of Islam. The War of Independence in 1857 was an open manifestation of the Muslim spirit of revolt against the domination of the British Government and its stooges in India. Frustration and lack of direction, however, pervaded the rank of Muslims after the unfortunate failure in the War. At this critical juncture emerged Sir Syed Ahmad Khan who served as a beacon light for the Muslim Nation in distress and disarray. He equated education with power and declared that the muslims could improve their political, social and economic condition only through the medium of modern and scientific education. He cultivated the concept of a separate Muslim Nation on the basis of religion, culture and history. He inspired the muslims of the subcontinent to demand a separate homeland where they could arrange their lives and affairs of the State according to the dictates of Holy Quran and Sunnah.

After the establishment of the Indian National Congress in 1885, the Muslim leaders saw through the game of \"National\" movement and warned their people of the hovering dangers. In 1906, the Muslim League was founded as a challenge to the Indian National Congress, Maulana Hasrat.Mohani presented a plan to the Government for the country envisaging ~- two separate states for the Hindus and Muslims, Chaudhary Rehmat Ali further developed this concept. He displayed great wisdom and foresight by pulling forth not only a name but in large measure the scheme that culminated in the creation of Pakistan. Maulana Mohammed Ali, Maulana Shaukat All and Maulana Zafar Ali Khan spread the message of Pakistan through their lucid lectures and articles in newspapers.

The most outstanding contribution, however, came from Dr Sir Mohammad lqbal, the great philosopher and poet and the symbol of muslim nationalism. Pakistan ideology found ever clearer expression in his religion-philosophical didactic and poetic works. At its base was the idea that spiritual unit founded on Islam was the most vital and integral element of national society. Islam emerges in this ideology as a form of National unity and absorbs all political thoughts. While presiding over the Session of the All India Muslim League at Allahabad in 1930. Dr. Iqbal\'s Address represented the first clarion call for the establishment of an independent Islamic State in the Subcontinent.

From 1937 onwards, Mr. Mohammad Ali Jinnah became identified in the muslim mind with the concept of the charismatic community, the concept which answered their psychic need for endowing and sanctifying their sense of community with a sense of power.. Increasingly did he become, with the passage of time, the embodiment of Muslim national consensus. And this explains why and how muslims acknowledged him as their Quaid-e-Azam\' even before the launching of the Pakistan demand in March, 1940. From now on events moved fast. Due to the persistent intransigence of the Indian National Congress. the Muslims were let with no alternative but to demand the partition of the Subcontinent through the famous Resolution of 23rd March, 1940. It declared that no constitutional plan would be workable in the country or acceptable to the muslims unless it was designed on the basic principle that geographically contiguous units were demarcated into regions in a manner that the areas in which the muslims were numerically in a majority were grouped together to constitute an independent state.

After a hard and heroic struggle by the Muslims of the Subcontinent, the British Parliament was forced to approve the Indian Independence Act, 1947 leading to the birth of Pakistan on 14th August, 1947. On this historic day the Quaid-e-Azam, while addressing the first session of Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in Karachi culogised the services and sacrifices of the Muslims of the Subcontinent to achieve Pakistan, in the following words:-\'My thoughts are with the valiant fighters in our cause who readily scarified all they had, including their lives, to make Pakistan Possible.\"

Thus the response of the millions, sacrificing their lives and homes, to the call of \"UNITY, FAITH and DISCIPLINE\" from their Quaid-e-Azam firmly placed Pakistan on the world map. Quaid-e-Azam was a great man and a great muslim. He vehemently advocated morality In politics. He declared that morality in politics was even more important than in private life \"because if you do something wrong in public you hurt and harm more people\".

Let us endeavour to achieve the objective laid down by the Quaid in his broadcast to the Nation on 30th October, 1947.

\"Now is the time, chance and opportunity for eve,),\' Mussalman to make his or her fullest and best contribution and make the greatest sacrifice and work ceaselessly in the service of our Nation and world.\"

In the memory of the Sarfaroshaane Tehreeke Pakistan, Pakistan Post Office is issuing a set of Four commemorative postage stamps of Rs. 5/-denomination each on August 14, 2000.

Ahmed E. H. Jaffer Commemoration. (2000-7)

JAFFER, Ahmed Ebrahim Haroon, worthy son of a leading business tycoon, the Hon’able Sir Ebrahim Haroon Jaffer Mr. Ahmed Jaffer was born in Poona (India) on 9th August, 1909 and he breathed his last at Islamabad on 3rd February, 1990 while in the service of Pakistan. Almost all his life, he had been travelling extensively all over the world making friends among elite of every county he visited.

Mr. Jaffer was educated at the Anglo-Urdu High School, Poona and later at the Deccan College, Poona. His high calibre can be gauged from the fact that at the young age of 25 he was first elected a member of the Indian Parliament (Indian Central Legislative Assembly) in Delhi in 1934 from Bombay Province which had two Muslim seats. One seat was occupied by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the other by Mr. Ahmed Jaffer which provided him a rare and unique opportunity to work in close association with the Quaid. He was reelected to the Indian Parliament in 1945 and was appointed Deputy Whip of the Muslim League Parliamentary Party of which Quaid-e-Azam was the leader and continued until the establishment of Pakistan on August 14,1947.

Mr. Ahmed Ebrahim Haroon Jaffer (popularly known as Ahmed E. H. Jaffer), S.Pk., C.B.E., a close associate of Quaid-e-Azam, was a leading citizen, businessman and a distinguished parliamentarian with long standing. He was a seasoned leader of exceptional qualities in politics, trade, industry, sports, culture, national and international affairs. Immediately after partition of the subcontinent, Mr. Ahmed Jaffer, migrated to Pakistan in August 1947 and settled down in Karachi. He was elected to the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan tO represent one million refugees who had migrated to Pakistan and settled down in Sindh Province where he served till 1954 when the Assembly was dissolved.

In September 1948, Mr. Ahmed Jaffer was elected Member of the Council of World Movement for one World Government and a Member of the International Steering Committee of the People\'s World Government Conference. An active Rotarian, he was elected President of Karachi Rotary Club in 1951 for a two-year term. He was the founder President of Sindh Karachi Refugee Board and All Pakistan Mohajir Board. He established the first ever well planned refugee colony at Gizri near Clifton in Karachi which provided shelter to thousands of homeless Muslim migrants. He was appointed Advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Refugee Rehabilitation, during the course of the Conference of lndo-Pakistan Prime Ministers, held in Karachi in 1953. He led Pakistan Contingent to the World Olympic Games, London in 1948 and the next year he was elected Life Member of International Olympic Committee.

Mr. Ahmed Jaffer was a Member of the first Pakistan Trade Delegation to West Germany and Czechoslovakia in 1949. He was a delegate to the Inter-Parliamentary Union Conferences held in Dublin (1950); Berne (Switzerland in 1952) and Vienna (Austria 1953). He was a Leader of Pakistan Parliamentary Delegation to World Government Parliamentary Conference held in London in 1954 and delegate to the United Nations in 1975. He was a keen philatelist who had a rich collection of postage

stamps from all over the world. He collected rare stamps from several countries in exchange of Pakistan postage stamps as he was a member of Philatelic Associations in various countries. Thus Mr. Ahmed Jaffer introduced Pakistan postage stamps the world over bringing name and fame to his country.

Mr. Jaffer was awarded high decorations by the President of Austria, His Majesty King of Belgium, President of Brazil, Her Majesty Queen of England, President of Finland, President of Italy, His Majesty King of Jordan, His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, President of the Republic of Spain and President of Pakistan, for his contribution towards development of trade and cordial relations.

Courtesy: - Abdul Kadir Jaffer

To commemorate the Birth Anniversary of Ahmed E.H. Jaffer Pakistan Post Office is issuing a commemorative postage stamp of Rs. 10/- denomination on August 9, 2000.