Mr. Jinnah's "grandson"

Mr Jinnah’s ‘grandson’

Sir: I was shocked to see on a private television channel a man by the name of Muhammad Aslam Jinnah claiming to be Mr Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s ‘nawaasa’ (maternal grandson). The man was speaking flawless Urdu and was treated like a VIP by the anchor and others present on his show. According to many sources, Mr Aslam is an impostor because the Quaid had only one child — a daughter named Dina, who married Neville Wadia from India. Any maternal grandson or granddaughter of the Quaid would therefore have the surname Wadia and not Jinnah. I also heard that Mr Aslam is being paid a stipend by the government for being the ‘Quaid’s maternal grandson’. I did not know that it was so easy to cheat the government. Obviously, those who invited this man on the television programme have never read a biography of the great founder of the nation, otherwise they would never have been given so much importance to anyone alleging to be related to our great leader contrary to the evidence and statements of the real family members of Mr Jinnah.

SHAKIR LAKHANI
Karachi
Published in Daily Times, December 28, 2011