BIZ TODAY REPORT
KARACHI: The President of The Jinnah Society, Liaquat Merchant, briefed the members of the media at a press conference about the Society’s plans for 2018 which include the conferment of the Jinnah Awards in 2018 to individuals who have rendered outstanding services to Pakistan. The Jinnah Awards were conferred to the following luminaries between 1999 and 2017: Abdul Sattar Edhi, Hakeem Muhammad Saeed, Graham Layton, Ruth Pfau, Akhter Hameed Khan, Ishrat Hussain, Ahmed Ali Khan, Air Marshal (Retd) Asghar Khan, I. A. Rehman, Adib Rizvi, Imran Khan, and Ardeshir Cowasjee.
Mr Merchant pointed out that The Jinnah Society propagates the ideals, principles, and vision of Jinnah aimed not only at unity and nation-building but also at encouraging the development of leadership. He underlined that during the latter part of 2017 a significant resurgence of interest in Jinnah and the concept of ‘Jinnah’s Pakistan’ was noticed. “It seems that a realization had dawned upon the minds of leaders who mould public opinion that Jinnah is the only person around whom the people could rally to achieve a much needed exercise of nation-building. And that a nation which forgets its founding fathers and moves away from their vision is likely to end up as a failed State”, he added.
He highlighted that The Jinnah Society plans to set up a Jinnah Chair at the University of Karachi. The Society in collaboration with Oxford University Press (OUP) will also publish the revised Deluxe Edition of Quotes from the Quaid—a compilation of quotations culled from the life’s work of Jinnah, a concept for guidance and nation-building. The first edition of the book was published by OUP in August 2007 to celebrate Pakistan’s 60th Anniversary. 100,000 copies were distributed free by OUP to schools and colleges across Pakistan.
Ameena Saiyid, Secretary General, The Jinnah Society, and the eminent journalist, Ghazi Salahuddin also spoke on the occasion.
