On his part, besides having edited Azad's "India Wins Freedom", Abu also played a key role in establishing the Abul Kalam Azad Research Institute in Karachi, of which he is currently the director.

Pointing out that the earlier bias against Azad and other Indian leaders among academic circles in Pakistan has now given way to more objective analyses and assessments, he expressed the hope that "such objectivity"would enable the people to have "better perception"of past events which have, so far, not received the "dispassionate treatment"they deserved.

Author of over 150 books and monographs with an area of interest in freedom struggle in the sub-continent and history and politics of India and Pakistan, Abu had to face severe criticism when he established the Karachi-based institute on Maulana Azad and was even branded a Congressman. However, he refused to admit that the change in perception of Pakistanis vis-a-vis Indian leaders was because of his efforts alone and made special mention of Yusuf Salim Chishti, Syed Abdullah, Nabi Bakhsh Baluch, Ghulam Rasool Mehar, Shorish Kashmiri and Ahmad Nadim Qasmi, all historians and authors of Pakistan, for publishing and propagating the thoughts and works of Azad.

"The Pakistanis today have no hatred or malice towards any Indian personality because those who had propagated the politics of hatred are no more and the new generation wants to live in peace and harmony while struggling with their own problems,"he added.