LAUNCH OF SECULAR JINNAH AT THE KARACHI INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR

CB Team 30 Dec 2010

The Pakistani edition of Saleena Karim's Secular Jinnah and Pakistan: What the Nation Doesn't Know was launched during the 6th Annual Karachi International Book Fair on 25 December 2010, coinciding with the anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam MA Jinnah's birthday. The book has been published by Paramount Books in Karachi.

Managing Director of Paramount Books Iqbal Saleh Muhammad opening the ceremony

The launch ceremony opened with a statement from Paramount Publishing Enterprise's Managing Director, Mr. Iqbal Saleh Muhammad, introducing the book and its author. Muhammad Ali Khan, the General Manager (Publishing and Schools Division) read out a statement on behalf of the author, as she is based in the UK and was unable to attend. (Read her statement here)

General Manager M Ali Khan reads out a statement on behalf of Saleena Karim

Speakers at the event included Lt. Col. (retd.) Khan Adeeb Ahmed Umerzai, Mr. Inam Khawaja, a prolific writer on Islam, and Prof. Muhammad Rafi, lecturer and member of the Board of Governors of the Karachi Board of Secondary Education. A number of other academics who could not attend for various reasons - Prof. Sharif al Mujahid, Dr. Waheed Ahmad, and Mr. Khalid Sayyed - sent their best wishes. Due to time constraints their statements could not be read out, but they are reproduced here.

Prof. Rafi, who was first to speak after the introduction, expressed his appreciation of the author's objective approach and said that in his opinion the book contains enough research material for a doctorate. Lt. Col. Khan Adeeb described the book as a monumental research work and the most authentic book on the life history of its founder. The final speaker Mr. Inam Khawaja said that Mr. Jinnah was a man of principles and steadfastness of purpose was one of his qualities, hence he could not have been ambivalent about his ideological position as is sometimes suggested. (See the speakers' statements here)

  
L - R: Prof. Muhammad Rafi, Mr. Inam Khawaja, Lt. Col. Khan Adeeb Ahmed (click to enlarge)

The hall was fully packed, and a number of special guests were present. Prominent personalities included former senator Javed Jabbar, former National Book Foundation secretary Aslam Rao, former ambassador Dr. Samiullah Qureshi, Commander (rtd.) Najeeb Anjum, former civil servant and author Khawaja Azhar Abbass, Baluch leader and former ambassador Abdul Hameed Aliani, CEO of Royal Book Company Jamshed Mirza, Wing Cdr. (rtd.) and poet Haadi Rizvi, and journalist and TV host Agha Masood.

 
Left: Prof. Rafi addresses the audience Right: The book on sale at the KIBF

Some chief members of the Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association, including Khawar Riaz (MD, Nafees Academy), Nasir Hussain (Director, Publishers Marketing Associates), Nadeem Mazhar (MD, Sindhi Kitab Ghar) and Aziz Khalid (MD, Urdu Academy, Sindh) were also present. These latter guests also happened to be among the chief organisers of the Karachi International Book Fair itself.

Mr. I. Saleh Muhammad talks to Khurram Ali Shafique, Research Consultant at the Iqbal Academy

A copy of the book was given to each of the three speakers during the ceremony, and a copy was also formally presented to the Iqbal Academy. Historian and educationist Khurram Ali Shafique accepted the book in his capacity as the Academy's Research Consultant.

All images copyright © CyberBlurb 2010-11. Do not reproduce without permission.

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Title: Secular Jinnah & Pakistan: What the Nation Doesn't Know (English)
Author: Saleena Karim
Publisher: Paramount Books
Price: 495 Rs.

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