SIMLA: Hindu correspondents who wanted to disturb yesterday’s [June 29] Press conference held by Mr. Jinnah at Cecil Hotel were greatly disappointed. In the Conference there were over 100 correspondents, including British, Americans, Australians and Chinese.

After Mr. Jinnah had concluded his statement … one correspondent of a leading Congress English Daily of Delhi referring to figures given by Mr. Jinnah that out of about 600 Muslim legislators in Central and Provincial Assemblies only 30 were Congressite Muslims, wanted to know how many were actually returned on Muslim League ticket. Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan who was also present at the conference said elections to the Provincial Assemblies were held in 1937 and elections to the present Central Assembly were held in 1934. At that time Muslims were not organised and the Muslim League did not exist as it does today. Nawabzada said: “You should see the present strength of the Muslim League.” Another Hindu correspondent … asked whether Mr. Jinnah had put the same figures before Pandit Pant when he met him yesterday. Mr. Jinnah turned and said: “Must you run riot? You should observe some rules. What has this statement got to do with my talks with Pant?”

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2020