KARACHI, July 22: A two-day international conference held to observe the centenary of the All India Muslim League concluded here on Saturday at the Karachi University.

The conference was organised by the Pakistan Historical Society, Hamdard Foundation Pakistan and the KU’s Pakistan Study Centre.

Indian historian and head of the Institute of Pakistan Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, Dr Uma Singh, presided over the first session of the conference’s second day.

Speaking on the occasion Indian historian and writer of a book titled Secular and Nationalist Jinnah Dr Ajeet Jawed observed that Mohammed Ali Jinnah was very popular with Hindus during the decade of 1910-20 and was called the “ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity.”

She added that Mr Jinnah was a top leader of the Indian National Congress and his statue, installed at the office of the Congress, was still there.

Dr Kamran Shahid, a lecturer in a Lahore college, said that Quaid-i-Azam was neither a secular nor a religious leader, but a realistic leader.

His thinking was based on realism. The Quaid knew that Hindu society was divided in castes and such a society would not be able to give justice to minorities. This resulted in the creation of Pakistan, he said.—APP