The Qaumi Tarana as we know it, may seem difficult to understand at first but it grows on you with the passage of time. The anthem is evocative in spirit, describing Pakistan as the centre of faith and freedom, with natural beauty, its amazing strength and above all, its independence. It was officially adopted in 1954, when it was played with its lyrics just a day before the nation's seventh Independence Day. The three-stanza composition was played for the first time during Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan's official visit to United States in 1950. With the aid of Pakistan navy's band, Chagla submitted the theme in 1950, which got its lyrics two years later when renowned poet Hafeez Jalindhari's work was selected from over 700 entries. The failure of prominent poets and several composers to come up with one made him turn to his committee colleague and music composer, Ahmed Ghulam Ali Chagla. The impending state visit of Shah of Iran gave the chairman of National Anthem Committee a chance to test the new anthem. With his departure, a search began for a new anthem, which would be penned by a Pakistani. Sadly, Mr Azad migrated to India despite his earlier intention of staying back in Lahore. It was personally approved by Quaid-e-Azam and was sung for the next few years. Mr Azad did a tremendous job with Aye Sar Zameen-e-Pak, which was written in less than a week's time. When Pakistan came into existence in 1947, it was without a national anthem so as the Governor General, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah requested renowned Hindu poet Jagannath Azad to write one. A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition powered by lyrics that bring to fore the history, traditions and struggles which resulted in the country coming into being.Įvery national anthem in the world has a rich history, and so does ours.