Page 23 - Pakistan Link - March 23, 2018

COMMENTARY MARCH 23, 2018 – PAKISTAN LINK – P23

n By Farhana Mohamed, MBA, PhD Jinnah: A Celluloid Salute to the Giant
Los Angeles, CA -i-Azam to the world, not just the people of India
and Pakistan. Very little of the man has been tele-
[The following article was first published in vised or filmed. The film is a tribute to the life and
the January 8, 1999 issue of Pakistan Link, shortly feelings of the great man.” (Most of this para ex-
after the limited release of Jin- cerpted from Rediff On The NeT, April 4, 1997).
nah movie in 1998. This article It appears that the initial brouhaha further
is being published again as Jin- enhanced determination of the production team
nah’s message deserves to be seen to treat “Jinnah” as a labor of love. The movie was
by the younger generation that finally premiered on September 2, 1998 at the
wasn’t around when the film was World Film Festival, Montreal, Canada. This was
initially released. Another note- followed by the Hollywood premiere on Septem-
worthy event is the passing away of Christopher ber 26, with much glitter and pomp. Elizabeth
Lee on June 7, 2015, at 93. According to BBC, Lee Fullerton wrote on the occasion, “The privately
considered Jinnah as “the most important film I backed film, described by some as a cross be-
made, in terms of its subject and the great respon- tween ‘ Gandhi ‘ and ‘ Lawrence of Arabia, ‘ - A
sibility I had as an actor.”]. fast-paced period drama centered on the turbu-
Professor Akbar S. Ahmed in his book, Jin- lent months preceding the 1947 partition of India,
nah, Pakistan & Islamic Identity: The Search for which was largely engineered by Mohammed Ali
Saladin (Routledge, New York, 1997), writes, “By Jinnah, it is the first major international film to
not having humanized images of (Quaid-i-Azam come out of Pakistan.” (Buffalo News, September
Mohammed Ali) Jinnah and utilized those in the 30, 1998). Los Angeles-based Daily Variety wrote,
media, Pakistan lost a chance to construct an idea “Christopher Lee (invests) Jinnah with dignity, re-
of a national hero around which a national im- solve and humor.”
age could have formed.” As a result, what we have “Jinnah” was also shown at the prestigious
today is a totally misunderstood image of one London Film Festival (LFF) on November 8,
of the greatest statesmen of this century. For in- 1998. Derek Malcolm of The Guardian (Novem-
stance, Richard Attenborough’s “Gandhi” (Feature ber 10, 1998) had this to say: “Jinnah is a safe,
Film, 1982, 188 minutes) stunned our sensibilities Shashi Kapoor and Christopher Lee in the movie Jinnah solid, middle-of-the-road film-making, with Lee
with the demonic portrayal of Jinnah. In Gandhi, India’s shameful invasion of Kashmir in October lion towards the movie. contributing a portrait of Jinnah which goes well
Alyque Padamsee played a ten–minute ‘villainous’ 1947.” (Andrew Roberts, Sunday Times, London, The film cast boasts many fine actors. Chris- beyond a natural resemblance and Lintern carry-
role of Jinnah which per Akbar Ahmed, “seemed August 18, 1996). topher Lee plays Jinnah, Richard Lintern acts as ing weight too---For all its faults, ---the attempt
to be motivated by only one thing: his hatred of These episodes of partiality, bias, and a con- young Jinnah, James Fox as Louis Mountbatten, to rescue Jinnah from his distracters and to make
Gandhiji. This was a historically incorrect por- stant barrage of contempt towards Jinnah and the Maria Aitken as Edwina Mountbatten, Rashid sense of at least part of the jagged history of Paki-
trayal.” As a matter of fact, Jinnah always regarded nation he created led to the making of “Jinnah” Suhrawardy (Robert Ashby) as Nehru, Sam Das- stan is largely successful.”
Gandhi, his political rival, as a great leader. After (Director Jamil Dehlavi, 1998, Feature Film, 110 toor portrays Gandhi, Shakeel plays Liaquat Ali English journalist Victoria Schofield (Dawn,
Gandhi’s assassination by Hindu extremist, Na- minutes). The business documents of the sub- Khan, Talat Hussain as a refugee in the last scene Karachi, November 29, 1998) mostly collected
thuram Godse, Jinnah said, “Moslems of India sidiary production company, the Quaid Project of the movie, Shireen Shah as Fatima Jinnah, In- the responses of the audience during LFF which
have lost a great friend.” (Stanley Wolpert, Jinnah of America, reveal the budget of “Jinnah” to be dira Verma as Ruttie Jinnah, and Shashi Kapoor included Pakistanis and Indians. She sums up her
of Pakistan, Oxford University Press, 1984). about $5.0 million. This amount includes at least portrays the narrator. reactions thus, “There is no doubt that the charac-
The vicious hatred of Lord Louis Mountbat- $0.3 million of free accommodation and other The film drew its share of negative publicity, ter of Jinnah as represented in this film will fire the
ten, the last Viceroy of British India, against Jinnah amenities the movie production received in Paki- bureaucratic roadblocks, and a general consensus imagination of future Pakistanis, just as the film
is also quite obvious: “Mountbatten contributed to stan. The Quaid Project Limited (UK), the parent that the movie project would never come to frui- makers hoped. Though the dramatic represen-
the slander against Jinnah, calling him vain, mega- company, began operation in March 1994. Shoot- tion. The movie was labeled as a “mix of ‘Time tation---Jinnah lives again not as the “villain”
lomaniacal, an evil genius, a lunatic, a psychotic ing of the movie began in Pakistan in March 1997 Bandits’ and Salman Rushdie.” The selection of as portrayed in Richard Attenborough’s film
case and a bastard, while publicly claiming he was and concluded in May 1997. The production was 73-year-old Christopher Lee was heavily criticized “Gandhi” nor as the rather austere man who
entirely impartial between Jinnah’s Pakistan and halted in the fall of 1997 due to lack of funds but for his previous portrayal of “Dracula”, though Lee stares out from portraits hung throughout Pak-
Nehru’s India. Jinnah rose magisterially above was resumed in April 1998. This was mainly due to also played over 250 other roles. However, Shashi istan---; instead the viewer sees him through-
Mountbatten’s blatant bias, not even attacking the the dynamic fund-raising efforts spearheaded by Kapoor, who played the role of the narrator and out his personal and political struggles as a man
former Viceroy when, as Governor-General of In- Executive Co-Producer, Dr Nasim Ashraf. About received his share of flak, especially in India, said, of integrity and principle, who laughs
dia after partition, Mountbatten tacitly condoned six dozen Pakistani-Americans invested $1.5 mil- “The film will also be a great exposure of the Quaid JINNAH, P28
The Pakistanis Who Have Offshore Properties Worth Millions

n By Sajid Iqbal
space on Cleeve Way, Sutton.
he influential Saifullah family from Lak- There is no mention of any residential or
ki Marwat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, holds commercial property owned by any offshore com-
Ta bigger offshore property portfolio in pany owned by the Saifullah family. However, the
the United Kingdom than any other Pakistani link of the offshore companies to the Saifullahs
politician or businessman, according to a Dawn has also been substantiated by the Panama Papers
investigation. investigation. The Saifullah family is not the only
The Pheasantry — a farmhouse located in the Pakistani farmhouse owner in Hampshire, the
leafy Bramshill Park, Hampshire — is the crown county also has a farmhouse owned by Pakistan
jewel in the Saifullah estate in the UK. Bought in Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Jehangir Tareen.
1996 for 865,000 pounds sterling through Aqua The former PTI secretary general owns Hyde
Nominees Ltd (a multi-layered offshore company House in the same county. Mr Tareen had bought
incorporated in Jersey), the farmhouse has six Hyde House through Shiny View Ltd, an offshore
bedrooms, seven reception rooms, five bathrooms company incorporated in British Virgin Islands, in
and a vast piece of agricultural land. 2005 for 1.2 million pounds.
“There is a large swimming pool, Jacuzzi with Aleem Khan, another PTI leader, owns three
TV and music system and a tennis court. Beyond properties in Central London that he had bought
is stunning parkland and wonderful mixed, ma- through Hexam Investment Overseas Ltd, an off-
ture woodland. There is also an abundance of deer shore company incorporated in British Virgin Is-
and wildlife on the estate,” according to Anastasia lands.
Bernhardt who wrote a “Property of the Month” These include a fifth-floor one-bed
piece about The Pheasantry when the newly-re- flat in Park West on Edgware Road that
furbished farmhouse was put on the market five The farmhouse owned by the Saifullahs is located in the leafy Bramshill Park of Hampshire he had bought for 300,000 pounds in July
years ago. 2007. Two similar flats on the same floor in
So big is the farmhouse that the 9,000-square- which was bought by former President Asif Ali the same floor was sold in September 2016 for West Park were sold for around half a million
foot built-up area and the adjoining 334 acres of Zardari. 430,000 pounds sterling. pounds in June and August 2017.
agricultural land have been mentioned in the UK Just two years after purchasing The Pheas- Albion Street is an expensive neighborhood Mr Khan owns another flat in Marble Arch
land record under multiple entries. As it was on antry, another pricey item was bought in Central as three houses were sold on the street for an aver- Apartments that he had bought through his off-
the market in 2013 for an estimated guide price London through Aqua Nominees Ltd, the offshore age price of 3.5 million pounds and the land regis- shore company for 220,000 pounds in August
of around eight million pounds sterling, its cur- company linked to the Saifullah family. The ter- try record shows that the offshore company linked 2002. Two similar flats in Marble Arch Apart-
rent market value could be over 10 million pounds raced house on Southwick Street in Central Lon- to the Saifullah family owns two houses (1 and 2) ments were sold last year for 495,000 pounds and
sterling. don was purchased for half a million pounds ster- on Albion Street. 415,000 pounds, respectively.
It is worth noting that the possession of off- ling some 20 years ago in 1998. The group owns three properties in Worces- Mr Khan’s third offshore property is situated
shore property does not necessarily suggest any According to the UK land registry record, ter in West Midlands through Aqua Trust Com- at another very sought after location, Westcliffe
wrongdoing on the part of any particular person, the offshore company, Aqua Nominees Ltd, owns pany Limited — a piece of land on Saint Martins Apartments, West End Quay, South Wharf Road,
company or entity. another property on Albion Street in Central Lon- Place, land and buildings on the north side of Saint London. He had bought this property for around
At least three PTI leaders and mother-in-law don. Besides, another offshore company linked to Martins Place and the Jaguar Center on City Walls 405,000 pounds only six months ago.
of PML-N’s new president hold offshore property the Saifullah family, the UK Property Investment Road. Zulfi Bukhari, a close confidante of PTI chief
worth millions of pounds Ltd, purchased a flat on 13th floor in Park Plaza, Ashby Limited, an offshore company incor- Imran Khan, owns two expensive Central Lon-
The Pheasantry reflects both in size and value Westminster Bridge. While the exact price of the porated in Belize and linked to former federal don properties which he had bought through
the legendary Surrey Palace spread over 355 acres Park Plaza flat is not known, a similar size flat on minister Salim Saifullah Khan, owns a parking PROPERTIES, P28
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