‘Defence pact’

Published September 9, 2018

THIS is with reference to the letter ‘Quaid on Indo-Pak joint defence’ (Sept 6). As far as I know, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah never made any such offer to India.

It would have made no sense since Pakistan and India were already involved in hostilities at the time, and there was no threat to either country from any other power.

It was Ayub Khan who offered a joint defence pact to India. Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah was the most vocal critic of this offer.

If the Quaid had ever made a joint defence offer to India, she would not have opposed Ayub Khan in this matter.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2018

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