Book flying off Pak shelves,Jaswant set to cross border

“We have been getting a remarkable response on the book and have invited him here for a signing session. The function is scheduled for Friday but his security clearances are still awaited,” Mohammed Yousuf,owner of Mr Books in Islamabad — he is hosting Singh — told The Indian Express.

After the session in Islamabad,Singh is scheduled to make a similar trip to Karachi where again his book has had a good response. “We have made a lot of arrangements for his stay,including internal security in our shop. Hopefully he will be able to come,” said Yousuf.

“I have spent 30 years in the business but this is the first time that we have got such a remarkable response. We got 165 copies of the book yesterday and all were sold out within three hours. We have now requested for more copies from the publisher,” he said.

Despite the relatively high price of the book — it is sold for Rs 1,500 in Islamabad — Yousuf said demand was increasing as mainstream newspapers and news channels in Pakistan were commenting on its contents.

“We have kept aside 500 copies of the book for the signing ceremony. People are not worried about the price and I am sure even the 500 copies will be sold in no time,” he said.

The book became available in major cities in Pakistan shortly after its release in India. It was being brought directly from India or via Dubai. In the Foreign Office,officials reportedly made photocopies of one copy that was sent by the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.

While Singh has been reviled by the BJP and others in India for his take on Jinnah,he has earned plaudits from the Pakistani media.

Praising Singh’s courage,the influential Dawn newspaper said in an editorial: “Here in Pakistan,the more important question is: can we imagine a similar statement about India’s independence leaders? Mr Singh has been treated shabbily,but the whole affair demonstrates that India,or parts thereof,is at least trying to come to terms with the ghosts of Partition and assess it in a frank,honest manner. Can anyone in Pakistani politics claim such boldness?”

With PTI from Islamabad