Pakistan had been part of the colony of India since the 18th century, firstly as part of the East India Company and then as part of the British Indian Empire. 

In 1947, the act of independence created the ‘Dominion of Pakistan’ which covered two different geographic areas known as East and West Pakistan. In 1971 following the Bangladesh Liberation War, East Pakistan parted from West Pakistan and became Bangladesh. 

The name Pakistan is a conjunction of two words ‘Pak’ meaning ‘Pure’ in Urdu and Persian, and ‘Stan’ meaning ‘Land’. The name was also promoted in a pamphlet produced by the Muslim movement in 1933 – “ Punjab, North-West Frontier Province (Afghan Province), Kashmir, Sind and Baluchistan”. The ‘i’ was added to aid pronunciation. 

Independence happened at midnight between August 14th and August 15th 1947, which is why the tradition in Pakistan has been to celebrate the August 14th whereas August 15th is Independence Day in India.