A number of former High Commissioners of Pakistan today condoled the death of noted author and journalist Khushwant Singh describing him as larger than life character who enriched the life of people around him.
"Khushwant Singh was a larger than life character. Historian, scholar, journalist, wit and bon vivant, he enriched our lives with his writings and above all, with his friendship," said a joint statement issued by former High Commissioners of Pakistan to India.
The statement, issued by Humayun Khan, Riaz Khokhar, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi and Aziz Ahmad Khan, said, "We have all had the privilege of serving as Pakistan's envoys in New Delhi and we would like to add our tribute to the late Sardar Khushwant Singh to those which have flowed in from all over the world.
"We have a special reason to do so because, among the many things he will be remembered for, was his love for Pakistan, the land of his birth."
Admiring his personality, the statement said, "He relished his privacy, but his doors were always open to visitors from Pakistan. In his later years, he avoided public occasions, but always found time to spend an evening at our embassy, provided we followed his strict adherence to time, which enabled him to go home early."
"He was not only rational about Indo-Pak relations, but genuinely emotional. He took pride in having Pakistanis as his best friends. Because of this, we were able to enjoy, in addition to his wit and his wisdom, his fraternal affection," it added.
The statement further read, "In remembering this great man, we must all continue to strive for the ideals he promoted and the courage, the humour and the total lack of hypocrisy that he always displayed."
Singh, one of the finest Indian writers in English in contemporary times, died here on March 20 at the age of 99.
