June 8, 2003	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 7, 1424

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

NEW DELHI, June 7: The Indian home of Pakistan’s founder Quaid-i- Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah will be converted into a museum, it was reported on Saturday.

The Quaid’s sprawling mansion in the posh Malabar Hill area of Bombay has been lying vacant for over two decades, the Times of India report said.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) — an autonomous government body that promotes cultural ties — took over the house in 1997.

It has now decided to convert it into a cultural centre with a library and exhibition hall. The ICCR’s regional director Terence D’Souza said a permanent exhibit on Mr Jinnah is also planned.

The founder of Pakistan practised law in Bombay and later joined politics. From 1934 until his death in 1948 he headed the Muslim League, advocated a separate state for Muslims and guided the struggle for an independent Pakistan.

His Bombay home has been the centre of controversy, with Pakistan repeatedly asking to occupy it to house its consul-general. The last request was made when Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf visited India in 2001.

Till 1983 the mansion, which was built in 1939, was the residence of the British deputy high commissioner, the report said. It was subsequently taken over by the Indian government.—dpa