Has an Official Farman Book Publication Been Approved?

LIF's announcement in January 16, 2010, informed the jamats as follows: 'The Jamat will be pleased to be informed that Mawlana Hazar Imam has already approved that the Jamati institutions should formally publish a volume containing the approved text of his farmans, including those made for the Golden Jubilee.'
Is this announcement accurate? Mr Sachedina cannot pinpoint whether or when the approval for this official Farman book was given, and does not indicate that any work is under way to produce an official Farman book.

[Note: Extracts of Federal Court Transcripts of Cross-Examinations held August 2010 for Summary Judgement Motions in the Aga Khan Copyright Lawsuit
Sections starting with N. Tajdin #... Means Nagib Tajdin is the one answering questions in the next section
Sections starting with Jiwa #... Means Alnaz Jiwa is the one answering questions in the next section
Sections starting with Sachedina #... Means Shafik Sachedina is the one answering questions in the next section
Sections starting with Bhaloo #... Means Aziz Bhaloo is the one answering questions in the next section
]


Sachedina #390 - #402:
Cross-Examination by Mr Jiwa.
Q. 'The jamat would pleased to be informed that Molwana Hazar Imam has already approved that the Jamati Institution should formally publish a volume containing the approved text of his farmans.' [as read] Do you know when did he formally approve this?
A. The principal. This is an approval of the principle to publish. That does not mean you can publish tomorrow. It is the principle that he has agreed. The principle to approve, that he has approved the principle of being able to publish the farmans at his time. He has not made a decision that tomorrow you will publish this. He has given his -- here, as I say to you, 'approve the jamat to formally this.' So he has given his agreement to publish. Now the process has got to be gone through.
Q. Okay, so what I'm saying -- my question was: When did he give this approval?
A. This was during the -- this discussion has been on the table with Hazar Imam for a number of years.
Q. No, this --
A. Listen to me, please. I have also.
MR. GRAY: Let him finish his --
THE DEPONENT: I have to be able to give you the context of this. It is my right to give you a context to this. And, therefore during the Jubilee there were a -- during the Golden Jubilee of the Imam, there were a number of projects, and one of them was -- there's one to do with the speeches of the Imam, and this one also is the farmans of the Imam. And these were issues that were discussed by -- with Hazar Imam, and he has, as I said, given in principle his agreement to do this. The question is going to be the timing in when this will happen and the process has to -- due process will have to be gone through before they are released to the jamat.
BY MR. JIWA:
Q. So my question is when -- when the final approval was given?
A. About the...?
Q. When you say 'has already approved'?
A. I told you during the meeting with the leaders -- at the time of the Golden Jubilee, this proposal was --
Q. No, it would be nice if you would say what month, what year?
A. During the Golden Jubilee when we -- leaders of the jamat periodically meet Hazar Imam, and there were meetings with Hazar Imam about what will be the outputs that we will do before the Jubilee, during the Jubilee, and the post-Jubilee. And the farmans would be the compilation also of -- all the farmans of the Golden Jubilee would be included in this. So this was something that came out of the Golden Jubilee.
Q. So you cannot point to the month that he gave --
A. This was done in the context of the principle of -- agreement by approval by Hazar Imam to do certain things. And this was informed to the jamat that that approval has been given by Imam to do this. But, as I say to you, there's a process to follow, which Hazar Imam will have to be -- his guidance will have to be sought.
MR. GRAY: Excuse me just for a second.
--- Off-the-record discussion.
--- Recess taken at 11:59 AM.
--- Upon resuming at 12:09 PM.
BY MR. JIWA:
Q. Now, Mr. Sachedina, your announcement --
A. Yes.
Q. You were talking about this already approved and you explained that. Now, to your knowledge has His Highness, prior to his Golden Jubilee approval, has he ever approved prior to that for the publication of the farmans?
A. The principle to publish?
Q. What do you mean 'the principle'?
A. Because the fact is that, you know, there is no publication at the present time. There is no publication of farmans authorized by any institution actually at the present time which is there. So this will be something that is in the process. It was in the process, principle was agreed with Hazar Imam.
Q. Right.
A. And now it's being looked at. Because I -- so that you should be aware, I had raised this matter with Hazar Imam of the Time of my meetings with Nagib at that time about this whole issue, that we will need to make sure that there's a publication available.
Q. Did he give you an approval at that time? Did you ask him for approval at that time?
A. No, he had said that -- we are very, very clear on this matter, that whatever it is you prepare, submit, and then we will make a decision once I have reviewed the material.
Q. Right. And so he said that in 1998 to you?
A. He said the principle about this is something I'm willing to consider and I'm willing to look at. And that's why I was very satisfied that this is where the direction we will end up at some point in time, but only after he has given his authority ###.