India has always been reluctant to do so and has instead been talking of converting it into a cultural centre for SAARC.
ISLAMABAD/MUMBAI: Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday night indicated a softening of India’s stand on the contentious issue of handing over Jinnah House to Pakistan saying India will resolve it “expeditiously”.
Jinnah House was the residence of the founder of Pakistan and first Prime Minister Mohammed Jinnah and is located in the premium Malabar Hill locality of Mumbai.
Pakistan had long demanded Jinnah House to be handed over to Islamabad because of sentimental reasons. India has always been reluctant to do so and has instead been talking of converting it into a cultural centre for SAARC.
“I fully understand the sentiments attached to Jinnah House. We will try to resolve it expeditiously,” he said in answer to a reporter’s question at a joint news briefing by Mukherjee and Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Ahmed Kasuri in Islamabad.
The house has been the subject of dispute between India , Pakistan and Jinnah’s daughter Dina Wadia. She had written to the Indian government requesting them to hand over this property to her.
Successive Pakistani governments have asked the Indian governments to hand over the property, which is valued at over Rs67.5 crores.
The relationship between Jinnah and daughter deteriorated when Dina decided to marry Neville Wadia, a Parsi who converted to Christianity. After her marriage, Jinnah is said to have communicated with Dina only through letters.
Jinnah house was designed by architect Claude Batley. It was built in 1936 at a price of Rs200,000 when Jinnah returned to Mumbai from England to take charge of the Muslim League.
Nusli Wadia, Jinnah’s grandson, is a leading industrialist and owner of Bombay Dyeing group. Jeh Wadia, Nusli’s son, refused to comment on the possible handing over of the property to Pakistan.
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