Jinnah House in Mumbai: Pakistan, India lock horns over property’s rights

ISLAMABAD: Tensions have appeared between Pakistan and India, this time on the Jinnah House, the property of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Mumbai which the Modi government now wants to transfer to the Ministry of External Affairs.

“We have a longstanding claim on the Jinnah House, which was accepted by India at the highest level. We have documentary evidence to that extent. India has to honour its commitment”, the Foreign Office spokesman told the weekly media briefing.

In the background is the status of the property left behind by Indians and Pakistanis which was taken over by the Evacuee Trust in both the countries. But as a special gesture after the Partition, Jawaharlal Nehru allowed the 2.5 acres of Jinnah House to remain in the name of Mr Jinnah instead of declaring it as an evacuee property. But this week saw Indian Minister for External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj stating: “The Prime Minister’s Office has instructed us to renovate and refurbish the Jinnah House to develop it on the pattern of facilities available in Hyderabad House in Delhi. Accordingly, approval of the PMO was sought for transfer of the property from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to our ministry. The PMO has now accorded necessary approvals.”

Already a legal battle is underway betweenthe Indian government and the heirs of Mr Jinnah initiated by his late daughter Dina Wadia who had claimed the property as hers. Even in the past Pakistan had stated that it wanted to take possession of the property and convert it into a Consulate in Mumbai. The Foreign Office had said at the time: “Pakistan has repeatedly expressed its desire to take possession of the property. The government of India should respect the ownership rights of the government of Pakistan in this regard. We also expect that the Indian government will fulfill its obligation of protecting that property and its upkeep”. Whereas the Modi government has taken everyone by surprise by informing to transfer it to the Ministry of External Affairs. This is a purely a political move by Modi who on the eve of general elections and hopes to earn goodwill in Mumbai where there is continuing resentment against Pakistan after the 2008 terrorist attacks.

Meanwhile, commenting on the recently concluded talks between the Afghan Taliban and the United States, the spokesman remarked, “Pakistan played a role as part of a shared responsibility in the meeting held in UAE for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. Our role has been widely recognised and appreciated. We cannot comment more on this.” As hopes rise and chances of a meeting of the Taliban with the Kabul government also desired by President Ashraf Ghani, the spokesman responded, “We have always stated that Pakistan exercises limited influence over the Taliban.” While no dates for the next round have been announced the spokesman said Pakistan was represented in the UAE talks by an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also termed the trilateral meeting between Pakistan, China and Afghanistan ‘successful,’ in which all the three countries vowed to cooperate against terrorism.

As the news reports and complaints continue regarding the fate of Chinese women married to Pakistanis who have disappeared the spokesman said: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese authorities will continue to coordinate on this matter. The Chinese side has also offered to arrange visits to Xinjiang of the families of the convicted women.” The spokesman brushed aside reports claiming that these Chinese Muslim women are taken to special centers to ensure that they do not practice Islam. “Some sections of the foreign media are trying to sensationalise the matter by spreading false information. We should try to discern truth from fiction and not fall victim to disinformation,” he added. The matter pertains to Chinese nationals married to Pakistani men. “As per Chinese authorities, out of 44 women, 6 are already in Pakistan; 4 have been convicted on various charges; 3 are under investigation, 8 are undergoing voluntary training, 23 women are free and living in Xinjiang of their own free will,” clarified the spokesman.

Meanwhile, putting to rest some other rumours regarding Kartarpur, the spokesman said there is absolutely no question of any land swap. “The Kartarpur Corridor was a gesture for the Sikh minority community made on their request to provide a visa free corridor, facilitating their visit of a shrine of importance to them,” he said. The groundbreaking of the Kartarpur Corridor he added was performed after consultations with the Indian government. “We received a formal request from India subsequent to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s initiative on Kartarpur. Two Indian federal ministers and Navjot Singh Sidhu attended the groundbreaking ceremony in Pakistan,” he said.