Transitions: Political figures and 20,000 Hurs attend 7th Pir Pagara’s soyem

Syed Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi makes an appearance for his followers and addresses them.

SUKKUR:

The soyem of the seventh Pir Pagara, Syed Shah Mardan Shah, was held at Khankah-e-Rashdia in Pir jo Goth on Saturday morning.

More than 20,000 of his followers attended as well as Rehmat Khan Wardag of Tehreek-e-Istaqlal, Ghous Bux Khan Mahar, Sardar Ali Gohar Mahar, former Sindh chief minister Ali Mohammad Mahar, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Liaqat Baloch, federal education minister Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Agha Siraj Durrani, Altaf Unnar, Syed Jawed Ali Shah and Jam Madad Ali.

The eighth Pir Pagara, Syed Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi, also known as Raja Saeen urged his followers educate their children, especially their daughters because they were future mothers. “An educated mother contributes better to the development of our society,” he said.

Referring to his father’s death, Raja Saeen said that it was an irreparable loss for the country and for the Hur Jamaat in particular. Though it was impossible for him to fill the vacuum created by the death of his father, he said, it was natural for all of us had to return to our Creator. Raja Saeen urged his followers to strictly follow the teachings of Islam and take very good care of their neighbours.

Earlier, Pir Pagara’s murshids (follower), Pir of Jhang Sharif Syed Siraj Ahmed Shah, prayed for the late Pir Pagara and requested his followers to have patience.

Pir Pagara Syed Shah Mardan Shah died in Wellington Hospital, London on Tuesday night. His body was brought to Pakistan on Thursday morning, after which he was buried in Khankah-e-Rashdia on Thursday afternoon.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2012.