Memories of Inam Aziz, journalist —by Khaled Ahmed Stop Press: A Life in Journalism; By Inam Aziz; Translated into English by Khalid Hasan
Jinnah became governor-general of Pakistan and untouchable Mandal was his law minister, and when he made his famous August 11 speech about giving the non-Muslims the full right of practice of their religion, information officer Col Majid Malik phoned Dawn and told journalist FE Brown that the portion relating to citizens’ rights and religious beliefs should be omitted. The first ‘press advice’ had arrived. The instruction had come from Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, the secretary general. Editor Altaf Hussain put aside the advice and published the full speech (p.21).
Later, under President Yahya Khan, information minister General Sher Ali was so put off by this speech that he wanted it taken out of records and burnt. In 1981, a newspaper wanted to publish the full text of the speech but was not allowed by General Zia’s censorship (p.22). When Viceroy Mountbatten was handing over to Jinnah in 1947, he made reference to King Akbar in his speech. Jinnah countered it with a reference to Prophet Muhammad who had shown tolerance to the non-Muslims centuries earlier. Partition followed, but India would not transmit to Pakistan all its share of the divisible funds in Delhi. And the train carrying Pakistan’s physical survey records was looted on the way.
Liaquat was finally killed in Rawalpindi. It was a conspiracy whose real characters were never named but they were Ghulam Muhammad, Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, Iskander Mirza, and Nawab Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani. Khwaja Nazimuddin was then removed from governor-generalship and Ghulam Muhammad was accommodated, appointing the ousted Khwaja Nazimuddin as prime minister. It looked so great as a balancing move between the two wings of the country that people forgot the plot that had killed Liaquat (p.72). Both Jinnah and Liaquat were removed quickly enough after Partition to put Pakistan on the political skids it hasn’t left since then.
Ghulam Muhammad was a foul-mouthed invalid as governor general carted around by his nurse Miss Borel who alone could understand what was he was saying. Pakistan gave him the title of Muhafaz-e-Millat but when he arose to say a few words at the ceremony no one could understand what he was saying. And he had dribbled on to his sherwani! And when Ayub Khan was faced with opposition from Fatima Jinnah it was Maulana Bhashani who betrayed her and get her defeated in election for half a million rupees. Book review: Memories of Inam Aziz, journalist —by Khaled Ahmed
Later, under President Yahya Khan, information minister General Sher Ali was so put off by this speech that he wanted it taken out of records and burnt. In 1981, a newspaper wanted to publish the full text of the speech but was not allowed by General Zia’s censorship (p.22). When Viceroy Mountbatten was handing over to Jinnah in 1947, he made reference to King Akbar in his speech. Jinnah countered it with a reference to Prophet Muhammad who had shown tolerance to the non-Muslims centuries earlier. Partition followed, but India would not transmit to Pakistan all its share of the divisible funds in Delhi. And the train carrying Pakistan’s physical survey records was looted on the way.
Liaquat was finally killed in Rawalpindi. It was a conspiracy whose real characters were never named but they were Ghulam Muhammad, Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, Iskander Mirza, and Nawab Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani. Khwaja Nazimuddin was then removed from governor-generalship and Ghulam Muhammad was accommodated, appointing the ousted Khwaja Nazimuddin as prime minister. It looked so great as a balancing move between the two wings of the country that people forgot the plot that had killed Liaquat (p.72). Both Jinnah and Liaquat were removed quickly enough after Partition to put Pakistan on the political skids it hasn’t left since then.
Ghulam Muhammad was a foul-mouthed invalid as governor general carted around by his nurse Miss Borel who alone could understand what was he was saying. Pakistan gave him the title of Muhafaz-e-Millat but when he arose to say a few words at the ceremony no one could understand what he was saying. And he had dribbled on to his sherwani! And when Ayub Khan was faced with opposition from Fatima Jinnah it was Maulana Bhashani who betrayed her and get her defeated in election for half a million rupees. Book review: Memories of Inam Aziz, journalist —by Khaled Ahmed
posted by temporal at 3/01/2009
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