Book Launch: Fiasco

Jumbo Editorial Team

The launching ceremony of Fiasco was held at the Karachi Club Annexe on February 20, 2009. Pir Syed Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani, Federal Sports Minister, was the chief guest of the evening while the function was presided over by Ijaz Butt, Chairman, Pakistan Cricket Board.

Younis Khan, captain Pakistan cricket team, Intikhab Alam, manager Pakistan cricket team and Gul Hameed Bhatti, Group Sports Editor, Jang Group of Newspapers, were prominent among those having spoken on the occasion.

Abdul Qadir Qureshi, senior journalist and former Bureau Chief of the Associated Press of Pakistan, who is also the mentor of author Ehsan Qureshi, presented the vote of thanks. The ceremony was conducted by the versatile Sardar Khan.

The Sindh Sports Minister, Dr.Muhammad Ali Shah, Pakistan’s vice captain Misbah-ul-Haq, ex-captain Shoaib Malik, Danish Kaneria, Faisal Iqbal, former cricketers Waqar Hasan, Mushtaq Muhammad, Aaqib Javed, Shoaib Muhammad, Iqbal Qasim, Yawar Saeed, Salahuddin Ahmed, Abdul Raquib, hockey Olympian Islahuddin Siddiqui, KCCA Vice Presidents, Ajmal Ansari and Nadeem Omar were also present on the occasion.

There was a large turnout of the media professionals as well. The duo of A Aziz Rehmatullah and Haji Abdul Razzaq, who had launched the Cricket World Quarterly in late 1970s, was there alongwith Riaz Ahmed Mansuri, who brought out the famous magazine The Cricketer Pakistan. The Sri Lankan representation was that of their Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi, Sidath Kumar, and his wife.

The Federal Sports Minister, in his speech, demanded an apology from the Jamaican Police for mental torture, trauma and embarrassment caused to the Pakistanis in the alleged Bob Woolmer murder case.

“The Jamaican Police had gone overboard with their investigations and they should not have treated the Pakistan cricketers and journalists as suspects. The then officials of PCB did not handle the situation properly which allowed the Jamaican Police to act freely,” he believed.

Pir Aftab Jilani, himself a former cricketer, spoke at length about the issues of the game and assured the governmental support to the present PCB setup headed by Ijaz Butt.

The Minister disclosed that he had been stunned to learn some of the facts that have been brought to light by Ehsan Qureshi in his book. He lauded the efforts of the author for coming up with an excellent publication.

The Chairman of the PCB, Ijaz Butt, commended the author for having done a fabulous job. He reckoned that the journalists and authors producing books should be encouraged by the PCB as well as government and private sector.

The Pakistan Captain Younis Khan, who was a part of the World Cup 2007 team in Caribbean, hoped that the national team would be performing better and their goal was to win the 2011 World Cup.

The Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam showered Ehsan Qureshi with praise for producing his fourth book on the World Cup and sixth overall.

The Group Sports Editor, Jang Group of Newspapers, Gul Hameed Bhatti, was of the opinion that such books are of great historical value and Ehsan Qureshi’s contribution needs to be acknowledged.

Ehsan Qureshi, in his speech, talked about the distress caused to him and his family by the screening of the footage by BBC in their programme Panaroma in which he and fellow journalist Abdul Majid Bhatti were shown as the last persons to have met Bob Woolmer before his death.

***For further details about Fiasco, please write to jumbopublishing@yahoo.com or call Asad Raza at 0333-2304024