THIS is apropos of Dawn report ‘Jinnah prefers Iqbal to Zardari for adoption’ (Feb.2)

I think the administration of Lahore’s Jinnah Hospital deserves to be congratulated for making the right decision to hand over a one-year-old abandoned girl to Mr Iqbal and his wife Ayesha, a couple without issue, after refusing some seven other hopefuls, including President Asif Ali Zardari, who wanted the baby for his sister MNA Faryal Talpur.

It is common knowledge that in matters of adoption it is the child’s interest that is considered foremost to ensure who the applicants are. Along with other factors, the couple’s willingness to give the child a share in the family’s property might have swung the decision in their favour.

As for the president’s letter of Jan 25, reported to have been sent through Baitulmal, and addressed to Medical Superintendent Dr Afzal Shaheen, it reads: “The President of Pakistan has been pleased to direct that subject girl child may be handed over to Mrs Faryal Talpur, Member, National Assembly, and sister of the President.”

It hardly sounded like a request and appeared more to be in the nature of an official order. There was no way the Adoption Committee could have accepted a request that displayed lack of emotion.

S. R. H. H. Karachi