THE FORGOTTEN ARTISAN WHO STITCHED HISTORY: BABA-E-PARCHAM AND PAKISTAN’S FIRST FLAG

NAZARANA TIMES 78th Independence Day Special Edition August 14, 2024 | Lahore

 By Ali Imran Chattha LAHORE: As the green and white crescent illuminates cities today, few remember the calloused hands that brought it to life. In June 1947—two months before Partition—a modest Delhi tailor, Master Afzal Hussain, etched his name into history by stitching Pakistan’s inaugural flag. Tasked by Muslim League leader Syed Amir-ud-din Kidwai, Hussain and his brother Altaf meticulously transformed Kidwai’s design into fabric at their humble shop, which quietly became a hub for Pakistan Movement leaders. The same hands that tailored ordinary shirts crafted the emblem that would rally a nation. After Partition, Hussain migrated to Karachi, where he lived in obscurity despite his pivotal role. Recognition arrived belatedly: in 1979, General Zia-ul-Haq posthumously awarded him the Pride of Performance. The honor came twelve years after his death in 1967, leaving his contribution largely unacknowledged during his lifetime. “Flags don’t stitch themselves,” remarks historian Dr. Mehreen Qazi. “Afzal Hussain’s anonymity mirrors countless unsung heroes of independence.” Today, as millions hoist the flag, the man who sewed its first thread remains a footnote in history. No monuments bear his name, and no schools teach his tale. Yet, in every flutter of green, his legacy endures—uncelebrated, but unbroken.