LAHORE: “Let me tell you, Mr President, what you do not know, that Pakistan is my life. I have, I believe, played a great part in bringing it to existence … and to make Bengal accept the Muslim League and align itself in the struggle for Pakistan, I had to work night and day, at the cost of my own living and health and safety.”

So wrote the late Mr Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy, founder of the Awami League and former Prime Minister of Pakistan, in a letter addressed to former President Ayub Khan challenging the charges on which he was placed in detention. The letter has been published for the first time by a Lahore weekly in its latest issue. The letter, running into many pages, forcefully and convincingly demolishes the aspersion cast by the former regime on the late leader. …

“I claim my patriotism is above suspicion and cannot be tarnished. I have noted with great pain that you are alleged to have said in Dacca… ‘It was not beyond him (i.e. myself) to accept monetary assistance from those who are hostile to Pakistan.’ Pardon me, Mr President, what possible justification have you for making such a serious charge, what kind of false and dirty reports must have been placed before you to induce you to make such a statement?” … — Agency

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2020