SHAHID Kamal, while reviewing Gohar Ayub Khan's book, 'Testing Times as Foreign Minister' (Books & Authors, Aug 2), has remarked “The primary purpose of the long excerpt is to present the author in a favourable light”. What a profound observation!

Can the reviewer name any author who has not put forward his own point of view. Almost all authors when they write a book put forward their own point of view and hope they will be considered in favourable light.

Then he accuses Gohar Ayub Khan of quoting from Strobe Talbott's book, 'Engaging India'. That should be the concern of Mr Talbott and his publishers.

In the end the reviewer has remarked that “it is scandalous that the publisher has dared to charge Rs550 for it”. What is so scandalous about it? When a publisher takes a decision to publish a book, he takes a commercial decision. He hopes that enough copies of the book will be sold to make it a profitable venture. Hence the remarks are beyond the purview of the reviewer.

The quality of the review can be judged by a photograph in the review, captioned Ambassador Gohar Ayub Khan (left) presents his credentials to Walter Hallstein. Well, for Shahid Kamal's information, Mr Gohar Ayub Khan has never held an appointment of ambassador to any country.

Besides that, the gentleman shown in the photograph, alleged to be Gohar Ayub Khan, is not Gohar Ayub Khan.

RAZA KULI KHAN KHATTAK
Peshawar