# Jinnah struck forehead, said ‘What have I done?’ 2026-08-14T18:12:03+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Journalist Kuldip Nayar's autobiography 'Beyond the Lines' recounts that Muhammad Ali Jinnah, after seeing streams of refugees from a Dakota aircraft over Punjab in August 1947, struck his forehead and said in despair, 'What have I done?' The account, shared by Mazhar Ali Khan's wife Tahira long after his death, describes Jinnah's shock at the scale of displacement. Both Iftikhar-ud-din and Mazhar had reportedly vowed not to repeat the remark. Nayar himself witnessed the horror while migrating from Sialkot to Delhi. He wrote of corpses lying on both sides of the road and empty suitcases and bags testifying to looting. Around 1.5 crore people were displaced and an estimated 5-10 lakh killed during Partition. August 14 is observed in India as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day. ## Coverage - rediff.com - hindustantimes.com Tags: Kuldip Nayar, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Partition of India Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/jinnah-asked-what-have-i-done-after-partition-horror/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/jinnah-asked-what-have-i-done-after-partition-horror/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.