KARACHI: Governor Sindh Mohammad Zubair, who is also the chancellor of public sector universities of Sindh, has appreciated Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh for writing a fantastic book on Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, which, he said, will immensely help the younger generation to understand the life and struggle of the founder of Pakistan.
He said this while addressing the launching ceremony of the book titled Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah: Taaleem, Juhid-e-Azadi aur Kamyabiyan”, an Udru translation of Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh’s book on Saturday evening at the inner courtyard of Sindh Madressatul Islam University.
The governor said that in an age when there was a lack of quality research work in the country that book was based on good research that depicted real life of the father of the nation and conveyed the message of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah to its readers. He said that being the head of the alma mater of the founder of Pakistan, it was part of Dr Shaikh’s responsibilities to write such a wonderful tome given the fact that most details about the Quaid were available with the SMIU.
Zubair said that he was undergoing a feeling full of emotions, which was mainly because he was in the school of study of the Quaid-e-Azam and was talking on a book written on his life and times.
He added that Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah had wanted for a liberal and tolerant Pakistan, where all citizens irrespective of differences of ethnicity and religion could live amicably and peacefully. “Today we also need a liberal and tolerant country as dreamed and desired by the Quaid-e-Azam.”
He said that there was no ambiguity about the political system to run the country in the mind of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. “He clearly wanted a parliamentary system in Pakistan on the pattern of the British parliamentary system.” The governor said that Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was the best parliamentarian and democrat who believed in the supremacy of the parliament. “This made him the undisputed leader of all communities of the then undivided India. Apart from a great politician, he was a great lawyer as well. Had he given more time to his profession, which he had left after returning back from England in the middle of 1930s, he would have been among the greatest lawyers of the region.”
Zubair believed that Pakistan was destined to progress and prosperity no matter odds of the day were not in its favour at the present. He hoped that the political process of the country should continue uninterrupted.
Earlier, author of the book, Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh, in his welcome address spoke on the need of writing that book threadbare. He said that when he went through a variety of biographies on Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah including the books of his sister Ms Fatima Jinnah, Mohammad Ali Siddiqui and others he found certain wrong narratives especially regarding the history of his time spent on education.
“Some of them said that he had passed his matriculation examination from the Sindh Madressatul Islam in 1887, which was not correct. He hadn’t passed matriculation exams from Sindh Madressatul Islam. Such basic errors compelled me to correct the history with the help of the record that was available at SMI,” said Dr Shaikh. Shaikh further said that he also went London to get the education record of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s education at Lincoln’s Inn.
The SMIU vice chancellor said that in a textbook in Sindhi published in 1948, it was mentioned that Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was born in Jirrack, now part of district Thatta. “To keep all these things correct with clear perspective along with some other things in my mind I decided to write a book especially for the youth to give them correct life account of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah with the support of his rare pictures,” said Dr Shaikh.
Dr Shaikh said that Mr. Jinnah was belonging to an underprivileged family, but later he became one of the rich persons of the region through his perpetual struggle and hard work.
Wusatullah Khan, a prominent columnist, said it was high time to seriously think why Pakistani youth had got alienated and why “we have failed to run the country according the thoughts and vision of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah”. He said that the people of Pakistan had to make the country as visualized by the Quaid-e-Azam especially in light of his speech delivered on 11th August 1947, four days before the creation of Pakistan.
He congratulated Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh on writing a good book on Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Dr Mohammad Ajmal Khan, vice chancellor of the University of Karachi said that he had read the book in a single sitting and found it fascinating and informative.
“I have read such a good book after a long time,” he said, adding that its Urdu translation was marvelous, which made him happy. Congratulating Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh he said that it was the right time to write such a book on Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah because the younger generation needed such literature the most. He said that Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was a great leader; which was the reason that millions of people trusted his words despite not knowing his speeches in English.
Dr. Fateh Mohammad Burfat, vice chancellor of the University of Sindh, said that Dr Shaikh had written a most valuable, informative and educative book, which would be helpful especially for the young generation and inspired them for getting engaged in positive activities. He said that in the 21st century, history writing was a job to do with immense objectivity contrary to the past. He said history was a science, thus, it should be based on facts and Dr Shaikh had written the book keeping those tools in the mind.
Prof. Khalida Ghous said that Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh had beautifully knitted the facts related to the life of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. She suggested that the book should be taught at the university level in the country. On the occasion Governor of Sindh Mr. Mohammad Zubair along with other guests launched the book. Earlier, the Sindh Governor visited the Jinnah Museum of SMIU.