Jinnah A Life

‘No biography of Mahomed Ali Jinnah – Pakistan’s Quaid-e-Azam – has been true to the man who described himself as “plain Mr Jinnah”. Yasser Latif Hamdani’s book fills that void. The author puts together an account of Jinnah’s life with affection, without neglecting key facts and by including commonly repeated distortions. Jinnah’s greatness shines through [in this book] while maintaining the humanity of his character’Husain Haqqani, Former Pakistan Ambassador to the US, Author of Reimagining PakistanWas Jinnah the sole driving force behind the Partition of India? Or was he a champion of Islam who stood for a new Islamic renaissance?Mahomed Ali Jinnah started his political career firmly in the Congress as a staunch Indian nationalist. He believed in secular politics and was opposed to bringing religion into that politics. But he changed his belief and ended up making a separate state for Muslims at the very end of his career.This new biography casts fresh light on the life of Jinnah, his political and legal careers, his relationship with Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru as well as his disagreements with their ideas. Carefully examining the major events of his life – from early childhood to his first speech as President of the All India Muslim League – Yasser Latif Hamdani presents a complex and fascinating portrait of Jinnah who is often wrongly regarded as a votary of a theocratic Islamic state, an idea which he, in reality, stood against.Based on extensive research and a wealth of archival material, Hamdani has revealed those traits of Jinnah’s personality that made him the most misunderstood leader of his times. He also comments on how religious zealous elements have turned Pakistan into the Islamic Republic contrary to Jinnah's vision.