The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, today visited the final resting place of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammed Ali Jinnah in Mazar-e-Quaid.
During his trip to the iconic mausoleum in Karachi, Sadiq Khan paid his respects to the founder of Pakistan and hailed him as a champion of democracy, women’s rights and religious freedom.
Last week the Mayor unveiled a bust of Muhammad Ali Jinnah at the historic British Museum in London as part of Pakistan High Commission London’s year-long celebrations to mark the 70th Independence Anniversary of Pakistan.
Alongside the High Commissioner H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, Sadiq Khan unveiled the bust at a special ceremony attended by members of the Pakistani community in London as well as British parliamentarians and dignitaries. The bust was created by the internationally acclaimed British sculptor Philip Jackson.
The bust is being permanently installed at Lincoln’s Inn, where Muhammad Ali Jinnah trained as a barrister in the 1890s.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “It is an honour to visit Mazar-e-Quaid today to pay my respects to the great Muhammad Ali Jinnah, particularly as someone of Pakistani heritage. Muhammad Ali Jinnah is a pivotal figure in history but is also still an inspiration today - not just to Pakistanis, but to millions around the world.
“As a champion of democracy, women’s rights and religious freedom, Muhammad Ali Jinnah will always be someone who millions admire. I was proud to unveil a bust in his honour in London last week and it was hugely important for me to visit his final resting place here in Karachi, the city where he was born, during my first official visit as Mayor of London to Pakistan.
“My ambition throughout this trip has been to strengthen the ties between London and Pakistan, to share the message that London is open and to encourage more Pakistanis to follow in Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s footsteps by visiting, studying and working in our great city.”
The Mayor is on a six-day mission to India and Pakistan to strengthen their cultural and economic ties with London. Sadiq is the first major British politician to embark on a trade mission to both countries in recent times.