'Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence' launching tomorrow

ISLAMABAD (Agencies) - Former Foreign and Finance Minister of India, Jaswant Singh would formally launch his book Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence here tomorrow (Wednesday April 14). Many noted politicians, parliamentarians and former ministers both from India and Pakistan are also likely to be present on the occasion. The book launching ceremony is being organised by'Oxford University Press (OUP) which has the publication and distribution rights for the book in Pakistan. The welcome address will be delivered by Ameena Saiyid while Jaswant Singh will have conversation with Humayun Gauhar followed by question and answer session. The book was released on August 2009 in India and soon became the subject of controversy, subsequently leading to Singhs expulsion from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It contains controversial opinions of Singh, claiming that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehrus centralised policy was responsible for partition. The book has already received commendation from noted writers and experts Mark Tully, Meghnad Desai, Ram Jethmalani, Namwar Singh and Hameed Haroon, who believe that Jinnahs role needed to be reassessed. Not only intellectuals, but people from different walks of the life both in India and Pakistan have also shown interest in the book, in which Singh has praised Jinnah and described him as a leader who had strong faith in united India, while blaming Sardar Patel for the partition in 1947. Jaswant on Monday said he was stuck to his stance he had taken in his book about Pakistans founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Whatever I have written about Jinnah in my book, I fully stand by it, he told newsmen at Quaid-e-Azam International Airport in Karachi on his arrival from New Delhi. Jaswant, the author of Jinnah: India, Partition and Independence said, I have come to Pakistan on a literary tour and will meet different scholars and readers to apprise them about my book. It is pertinent to mention that Jaswant was expelled by his party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in protest against his appreciation of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt