NEW DELHI, 29 June — A rare ‘property-dispute’ has arisen following Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s July 14-16 visit to India. While in Delhi, the president is expected to spend a few minutes at his ancestral haveli (house), the place where he was born. Today this haveli is owned by two families — R. C. Jain and Rakesh Gola.
Both, claiming better credentials to host Musharraf, have sparked a controversy about which section should host the welcome ceremony.
Gola claims, “We have documents to prove that my father bought the haveli from Musharraf’s aunt and the documents have thumb impressions of Musharraf’s father and relatives.” He insists that Musharraf would be visiting the haveli primarily “to see the documents.”
According to Jain, “Ours is main portion of the original. There has been no alteration in walls or rooms of the house and it looks very much like the old structure.”
The hustle-bustle at the 150-year old haveli, spread over 2,500 feet, suggests that municipal authorities are paying greater attention to the Jain-section. Said a supervisor, “It has space and the old look of a haveli that will perfectly the occasion.”
Aggrieved at this development, Gola said, “It is an injustice to neglect our portion of the haveli, which is the original structure where Musharraf is said to have been born.”
At the entrance to haveli, a grandiose arch is being constructed which will be inaugurated by Gen. Musharraf when he walks down the memory lane on July 14. The arch, called “Mehrab-e-yadgar” (memorial arch) would be inscribed with the words, “We, the residents of the haveli, welcome you on your visit here and hope that relations between India and Pakistan will improve substantially.”
Meanwhile, one of Gen. Musharraf’s cousins has invited the Pakistani president to visit his home when he comes to India in July, saying he wants to improve contacts between people in the two estranged nations.
Sidrat Ansari, whose family broke off ties with the Musharrafs following differences over the partition of India, sent the invitation for the general to visit Lucknow through the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
“We’ve extended an invitation through the high commission. We’ve not heard anything from that end but I’m still looking to a positive response,” Ansari, an educator, said.
Ansari, 45, is Musharraf’s second cousin: his mother, Sultana Hayat, and the general’s father, Syed Musharrafuddin, were cousins.
