Ulema of Sindh reject allegations of mock-Hajj

Religious personalities ruled out that any un-Islamic act could ever take place in Luari Sharif

KARACHI:

Several religious scholars and Mashaikh of Sindh joined the ranks with Pir of Luari Sharif, Pir Muhammad Sadiq Qureshi Naqshbandi, to reject the allegations of 'mock Hajj' at Dargah of Hazrat Sultanul Oliya Khwaja Muhammad Zaman.

Speaking at a large press conference in Badin, in the presence of more than two-dozen prominent religious personalities from almost every corner of the province, Pir Muhammad Sadiq Qureshi Naqshbandi, the Pir of Luari Sharif, ruled out that any un-Islamic act could ever take place in Luari Sharif.

Also present on the occasion were former Ruet-e-Hilal Committee chairman Mufti Munibur Rehman, Mufti Muhammad Jan Naeemi, former MNA Sahibzada Abul Khair Zubair, former Sindh minister Pir Abdul Baqi Humayuni, Pir Ayub Jan Sarhandi, Pir Ghulam Mujadid Sarhandi, Pir Hafiz Ghulam Muhammad Sohu, Pir Karam Ellahi of Matli and others.

Pir Muhammad Sadiq Qureshi told reporters that the allegation of "mock Haj" against an Urs gathering of the followers in Luari Sharif on 9th Zilhaj was "totally false and frivolous and a propaganda by the anti-Islamic forces".

The Pir of Luari Sharif also rejected the false accusations by opponents, alleging that he intended to gather some 500,000 followers to perform the "mock Hajj". He strongly condemned the derogatory language used by the opponents of Dargah Luari Sharif against the pious Sufi saints of Dargah Sharif.

He said that under a political agenda in the 1930s, the then anti-Islamic forces i.e the Congress government, hatched a conspiracy against Dargah Sharif by levelling such false allegation, because the mammoth gathering at Luari Sharif at that time was only second largest gathering after Hajj.

"In those days, more than 85,000 followers used to attend the Urs gathering in Luari Sharif. This Muslim power could not be digested by anti-Islamic Congress government because the then Sajjada Nashin of Dargah Sharif had categorically refused to support Congress in the elections and openly supported the Muslim League," the Pir of Luari Sharif said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 17^th, 2021.