The Riots of 1953 — Page 97
97 as long ago as 1939. So far as my attitude with regard to my office is concerned, I do regard my holding of it as a great honour bestowed upon me through the sheer grace of God and not on account of any merit of my own. I regard it as a trust and responsibility which I must not, by my own vo- lition, lightly throw away. On the other hand, it is perfectly clear that the Prime Minister can at any time call upon any of his colleagues to give up his office. Throughout this agitation I had made it perfectly clear to the then Prime Minister that I was ready to go at a moment’s notice if he considered that I was a liability, or, for any other reason, ought to resign and leave the Government. To the extent to which this report re- flects that view, it is a correct representation of my position. Q. You say in this speech that a friend had asked you to leave these ungrateful people and come abroad. Is that correct? A. Several people had, during the course of this agitation, sug- gested to me, both in letters and orally, that I should resign my office. Naturally, once I resign my office I would leave the Government. Beyond this I do not understand the refer- ence to “come away”. I have received no such suggestion from abroad. Q. Did you say in a khutba that you would resign if the Pakistan Government did not take severe action against the opponents of Ahmadis? A. I never said that. In any case, it contradicts both the heading and the earlier part of the news published in the “Zamindar”. Q. Did anybody bring this report to your notice? A. No. To Maulana Murtaza Ahmad Khan Maikash, on behalf of Majlis-i-Amal:- Q. In 1947 when you went to Geneva to attend a meeting of