Joining Pakistan Bahawalpur

British Princely states were given the option to join either Pakistan or India upon withdrawal of British suzerainty in August 1947. The city and princely state of Bahawalpur acceded to Pakistan on October 07, 1947 under Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur. Following independence, the city’s minority Hindu and Sikh communities largely migrated to India en masse, while Muslim refugees from India settled in the city and surrounding region. The city’s Quaid-e-Azam Medical College was founded in 1971. While much of southern Punjab’s population in Multan support the Pakistan Peoples Party, the region around Bahawalpur is known for its support of the Pakistan Muslim League.