Lahore   -  Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that writing a book is not an easy task, especially writing an autobiography, as one is narrating the pure history while it is still unfolding itself and hence is liable to subjective interpretations. He was addressing the launch of autobiography of Masood Lilla, a former bureaucrat and social activist.

The former prime minister said that he had himself penned down his autobiography while in Adiala jail. He said that his late father used to say that good books generally have been written by people while in jail.

Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani compared his own autobiography with Masood Lilla’s, and said that while he had written his while incarcerated, Masood had done while in “exile”. Gilani said that without political stability Pakistan cannot have economic progress. The two are intertwined, he said.

The former prime minister said that while he had ordered the release of judges of superior judiciary, and extended a hand of cooperation to the opposition, in his maiden speech after assuming the office of the prime minister, the current incumbent had offered “container” to the opposition in his first speech. Such a confrontational atmosphere is not only detrimental but is also a major obstacle to national progress, he said.

Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said that he had dedicated his autobiography to the “silent majority” of the country. “But it is important that the “silent majority” should now speak against the injustice, economic conditions, and insecurity in the country. For a democracy voices in the media, and in written shape, are essential. The autobiography of Masood Lilla falls in this category, where a conscientious person has not only written about his life but also about the social ills that need to be addressed, if we are to follow the dreams of the founding fathers of the country”, he said.

Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said that Pakistan has to focus on internal political stability as well as addressing the humanitarian crisis developing in Afghanistan.

He said that we have to move forward and not castigate each other as evil. Political dissent is part of the democratic order but blaming opponents as dishonest does not help democracy, he added. “Not everyone is a thief”, said the former prime minister. He narrated how he was jailed on the basis of some audit paras, and how later the public accounts committee of the parliament headed by his political opponents cleared him of those very audit objections. “There’s a need to strengthen our institutions” for our future, he said. The function of the book launch of “Awaz e Masood Lilla” was held on Saturday 22 January, at a local hotel in Lahore.

The ceremony was attended by Sardar Attiq the former prime minister of Azad Kashmir. Sardar Attiq praised the book. He also narrated how the government of People’s Party under Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani had presented the Kashmir cause at international level. He said that though his political party had been an opponent of PPP, PM Gilani sent him as head of the delegation to address the European Parliament on Kashmir issue. Sadly, such attention was not the case now.

Sardar Attiq praised the efforts of Masood Lilla in voicing Pakistan and Kashmir in Canada. The ceremony of the book launch was also addressed by Farrukh Suhail Goindi, the prominent intellectual. He commended Masood Lilla for writing a frank and honest account of his life, as well as highlighting the issues confronting the poor people of Pakistan.

The ceremony was attended by a large number of intellectuals, bureaucrats, doctors, media personalities, politicians, and students of social issues.