PML-Q invites Jaswant to Pak to launch book on Jinnah
Islamabad: Opposition PML-Q party has invited former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh to Pakistan to launch his controversial new book on the country's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, saying that it would be a step towards promoting intellectual and people-to-people understanding.
PML-Q secretary general Mushahid Hussain Sayed telephoned Singh and congratulated him on his book, which he described as a "landmark and historical work which sets the record straight”.
"I spoke to Singh yesterday and told him his book reversed the wrongs of history and reflected his commitment to truth and his moral courage. We invited him to launch his book in Islamabad as it would be a step towards promoting intellectual
and people-to-people understanding," Sayed said.
Sayed said Singh had told him he would visit Pakistan after the holy month of Ramzan for the launch of his book ‘Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence’.
PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has also written a letter to Singh to express his appreciation for his book. Meanwhile, one of the persons who was to host Singh in Pakistan for a visit scheduled for this week today claimed the former BJP leader was unable to make the trip as he had been denied security clearance by the Indian government.
Muhammad Yusuf, who was coordinating with Singh on behalf of a leading book store, said he had spoken yesterday to the former external affairs minister, who told him that he would be unable to come to Pakistan this week.
"He was denied security clearance by the Indian government. He will visit Pakistan at a later date," Yusuf said, adding that Singh had even been issued a visa by Pakistan for the proposed visit.
Other persons involved in organising Singh's visit too claimed the Indian government had blocked his trip by refusing to issue a "no-objection certificate." They insisted that all preparations had been completed for Singh's visit.
Bureau Report