Pakistan gained independence from the United Kingdom on August 14, 1947. The process leading to this historic event was complex and involved the partition of British India into two separate nations, India and Pakistan.
The demand for a separate Muslim state in the Indian subcontinent was articulated by the All-India Muslim League, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The Muslim League sought to protect the rights and interests of the Muslim-majority areas in British India. The Indian Independence Act of 1947, which was passed by the British Parliament, formalized the partition of British India into two dominions, India and Pakistan. This act came into effect on August 15, 1947.
Pakistan was created as a separate homeland for Muslims, and it comprised two geographically and culturally distinct regions: West Pakistan (present-day Pakistan) and East Pakistan (which later became Bangladesh). Muhammad Ali Jinnah became Pakistan's first Governor-General, and Liaquat Ali Khan served as its first Prime Minister.
On the midnight of August 14, 1947, Pakistan was officially born, and the British Raj in the region came to an end. The day is celebrated annually as Pakistan's Independence Day, marking the nation's emergence as a sovereign state.