Brother of VHP chief offers to help Pakistan with an address in Mumbai

It is a ground floor space measuring over 6000 sq. feet in Mittal Chambers, making it very convenient for Islamabad which has not been very happy with the choices lined up so far by the government. ‘‘This has been with us since 1975. We have made the offer to the Pakistan High Commission so let’s wait and see what they decide,’’ Singhal told The Sunday Express.

It’s learnt that Singhal has been looking to lease out the property for past six months but couldn’t find a party who needed that much space. However, the size may just fit the requirements of a consulate that has become an issue after India expressed its inability to hand over the Jinnah House to Pakistan.

‘‘There are some other consulates like that of Saudi Arabia in the vicinity and in that way, this could be a convenient location for them,’’ says Singhal who has already shown the property to Pakistani officials. The site is believed to be the frontrunner among the other options with Pakistan. The other issue for Pakistan has been the price. Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri had made the point that the real estate being shown to them was prohibitively expensive when he met Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran in Islamabad last December. While Singhal did not divulge the price details of his offer, he was hopeful that it would meet with a positive response.

Given that there may not be many takers for a large space like this, the Pakistan High

Commission will back its chances in the negotiations if Islamabad were to give a go-ahead. Currently, shortlisted sites have been sent sent to Islamabad for consideration.

Senior Pakistani officials including Pakistan High Commissioner Aziz Ahmed Khan have made trips to Mumbai to look at various options. While they have been trying to identify a plot to construct a new building, the immediate concern is to locate a temporary place to start the consulate.

It is here that Singhal’s offer has come in handy. The Maharashtra government lined up places in Navi Mumbai and one in Bandra. The former didn’t seem to excite Pakistan much as it was far and also seen as inappropriate to locate a consulate.

The alternatives were either small or situated in congested areas.

Meanwhile, sources said, the Pakistani officials have also found a plot in the Santa Cruz area near the airport which may be ideal to build a permanent consulate in the future.