THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME 'PAKISTAN'

The name 'Pakistan' had very mundane beginnings on top of a London double-decker bus, and the origins of the term reverts to Karakalpakstan. The term 'Pakistan' was first coined by Khawaja Abdur Rahim, then a student in London. While poring over a 1930 map of Central Asia whilst sitting on top of a bus taking him to university he came upon reference to the then new autonomous area, Karakalpakstan located in the Soviet Union, however, the book spine showed the portion "pakstan" as separate, which is what set Rahim thinking. "Since 'pak' stands for pure in Urdu, the name struck Rahim as the most appropriate" for the new Muslim homeland being planned in majority Muslim areas of British India.

Rahim reported his idea to Chaudhry Rehmat Ali, a key player in the struggle for the creation of a Muslim homeland on the Subcontinent. Ali had already proposed the carving out of enclaves with names such as Osmanistan for Hyderabad, Bangistan for Bengal, and Maplistan for Kerala.

He liked Rahim's suggestion and immediately produced a pamphlet with the name 'Pakstan' included. "The 'i' of 'Pakistan' came later after transliteration into Urdu which rendered 'stan' as 'istan' in much the same manner as 'school' becomes 'iskool',"

The countries founding father Mohammad Ali Jinnah's and others in the Muslim League are said to have liked the name and the rest is history.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/syed-hamad-ali-six-decades-after-the-man-who-named-pakistan-died-his-idea-is-still-a-dream-1-1573001#axzz3qifi3GJ7