Generosity: Zardari pledges $1m to Ajmer shrine
President Asif Ali Zardari announced on Sunday a generous donation of $1 million for the upkeep of the shrine of a revered Muslim Sufi saint in western India.
“President Asif Ali Zardari has donated $1 million for Dargah Sharif,” a custodian of the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti made the announcement on India’s Times Now television.
The shrine is located in Ajmer town, 350 kilometres southwest of New Delhi.
After his luncheon meeting with Premier Manmohan Singh, President Zardari and his son Bilawal Bhutto flew to Ajmer, put a floral wreath at the shrine, offered prayers and wrote his impressions in the visitors’ book.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by a spiritual joy after visiting the shrine – a joy that I don’t have words to describe,” Zardari wrote, according to the unnamed custodian. “I pray here to Allah Almighty for the whole humanity,” he further wrote.
Earlier the custodians squabbled over who would get the chance of accompanying President Zardari and his family to the shrine.
Tight security was ensured for the visiting Pakistani leader at the shrine.
All the stores catering to devotees situated along a one kilometre-long narrow lane leading to the shrine were shut between 1.30pm and 6pm. Devotees were barred from visiting the shrine from 2pm to 6pm. Vehicular movement around the shrine was halted during the half hour that Zardari spent at the shrine.
Over 3,000 policemen were deployed around the shrine, which is 12 kilometres away from the Ajmer helipad, according to a senior police official. Residents around the neighbourhood of the shrine were made to keep their windows shut while Zardari was in Ajmer.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 9th, 2012.
COMMENTS (51)
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Hardly any Indian would comment here...Not surprised bcoz its Pakistani president donating in India...!! They have a lot to speak about negativity but can't applaud the positive gestures...!! Huh Indians..!!
@SAAD ULLAH, brother, the donated money will be used 4 charitable purpose as the Khawaja dargah committe looks after orphans and widows, owns a school and offer other services 2 the poor. thats how sufi dargahs work. u need 2 read the articles related 2 presidents donation and where its gonna b spend.
With 1 million US the dead Peer is going to help Zardari or Pakistani people? Hope this money comes from his ill-gotten wealth. Had he given it to the poor Pakistanis their prayers might have brought something more for him and his family than those of the dead guy buried at the shrine. What goes round comes around, Mr. President.
If the Pakistani President has that kind of personal finances to throw around, as an Indian, i'd rather he donate it for making some schools in Pakistan to provide a secular science based education to the people of Pakistan. It would do well for all people of the subcontinent even if a few poor Pakistanis are drawn away from fanaticism into more constructive careers and help develop their own country.
@sami akmal
I think people shuold grow up and understand what real islam is, rather than blindly following the cultural traditions of subcontinent. will Donating this amount to a dead peson do any good for the society or mankind, or even to Khwaja Sahab himself? This amount could instead be used for good purpose like a charitible hospital or school. Cant understand how will the peer benifit from this money!
@Baby ka Husband: Sir, I am only supporting the religious belief of mainstream Muslims in Pakistan and India. My parents and their parents have been doing it for centuries when we were far better humans and Muslims. The good old days when the new faith of Whabi and Salafi was not around. Regards, Mirza
glad to read that "Vehicular movement around the shrine was halted during the half hour that Zardari spent at the shrine". indian people shared the same vip culture and problem as well.
Apnay paisa say to aik waqt kee roti bhee nahi khatay , hamaray President Sahab.
Dont worry, we have to pay this from our pocket, just wait for any new tax or price hike.
Now , every problem of Pakistan will be solved, becuase he has perform the pilgramge, He and his team, will do double corruption, double looting, double enjoyment,......and then he will go to the shirne again and do the pilgramge, and come back as an angel.
The govt should give public evidence of USD 1M outflow from presidents personal account. This is the job of media to ensure a track in kept on this payment. One more thing, how noble the cause, we are not in position of doing this while the poors suffer in our own country. Charity begins at home.
Noble gesture which should be appreciated! Hope Khawaja Ajmer's blessings might bring some happiness to this unfortunate country. But deeds & actions need to be changed. Blessings & Actions go hand in hand.
Khawaja sahab's soul will be in great pain after receiving Zardari's money...
Has zardari paid taxes on that income?? probably not
The real question is not about the donation but about the entire trip itself. Did the tax payers foot the bill?
1st of all it was a private visit and it was already announced that president family members will accompany him. so, there z no need 2 raise objection on bilawal presence there. 2ndly, as a pakistani from lahore i too own khawaja shahib. He visited data sahib ibn lahore and prayed there 4 40 days before leaving 4 dehli and later 2 ajmair sharif. so, Khawja Ghareeb Nawaz is mine 2. as a taxpayer muself, i dont have any objection on the money donated by president zardari to Ajmeer Dargah. rather, i would thank him 4 that. B/c i dont know whether i would b able 2 visit the site in my life or not but atleast i have donated something 4 a noble cause.
Generouse on people,s money.
If Imran Khan had done this, they would have praised him. Since, its Zardari, hence all the criticisms.
Why he doesn't Perform an Umrah instead of going to a shrine?
Has he ever donated the same amount to Shah Abdul Latif's shrine?
Not such a big deal since (1) it is a step in improving relations with India which carries great potential benefits for Pakistan and (2) Pakistan should be actively involved in anything that supports the Muslims in India and Islamic culture in general (particularly the non Wahhabi strain). It's not as if Pakistan has not received support from other countries including the UK, Germany, Czech Republic, Iran, Turkey in promoting cultural artefacts and sites. What I find objectionable is the presence of Bilawal Bhutto and Rehman Malik. Who paid for them to go to India?
Mr. President. The living poor are dying at home.Is this your priority to cherish the gone one and not to provide a food a day and kill your own living poor. Mr. president we are dying Sir. What a great humane deed. Indeed we are morally dead nation and the deed speaks louder than actions.
BISP is spreading to India.
@Mirza: Why should he give 1 million of the nation's money to some Indian shrine? Why doesn't he give all his money to shrines and temples in India?
The same wicked smile on his face!
If he feels so generous he should have used those funds to help flood victims. Spending $! MIllion in the Indian economy in any form be it trying to bribe a dead saint is unacceptable.
Thats like the leaders of a POOR COUNTRY!! I wish he would have donated such big amount to deserving people of Pakistan like Edhi, or made a charity hospital or school for people of pakistan! This is a complete waste of money!
Zardari should come back to mourn the national tragedy at Siachin
Has our president gone completely mad?????
The money came from the Pakistani taxpayer and has gone to feed the poor in Ajmer and maintain the custodians of the shrine. Balochistan, the earthquake victims in Azad Kashmir and the flood victims in Sindh are not holy enough. The donation has ensured a swift ascent to Heaven for the Zardari family.
What kind of President he is? Or Human? People are suffering & dying b/c of hunger. People are still suffering from flood. Even today morning i've seen morning show on Hum tv (Jago Pakistan Jago). The Somali pirates have kidnapped a ship for the last 18 months & he is spending our money in India....... ALLAH SWT in hukumrano ko hidayt day aur ihain hamaray sir say dafa karay. For ALLAH sake don't be so cruel to involve religion/sect in every affair. We Pakistani's are fighting on language/ sect/province. It's not a matter of spending money on shrine. It's matter of life & death for people who are still alive, like you & me.
A real shameless GOVT. May ALLAH SWT get rid us from these leaders. It's also our responsibility as well to stop fighting & throw them out of country.
I hope he has millions to donate to the families of the soldiers in the Siachin incident as well.
there goes the tax payers money - sigh
@Mirza: This is wastage of money and in Islam building tombs have been prohibited/forbidden/restricted if you read the Sahih Ahadith.
Much the best,excellent,most effective and most impressive way of converting the corrupted and black money into white money.If this these $1m were Zardari's own then no problem and if these $1m were the poor Pakistani nation's then this matters.This donation shows and proves that Zaradri has millions of $$$$$$$$ but only for his personal interests not for the nation.This huge sum of money might be spent on thousands of the deserving poor families or natural calamities' effected people of Pakistan for their real and true welfare and betterment which has been given to a tomb only within 20 minutes. Unfortunately PPP's government has lot of money for such these types of activities but not for the Pakistan's,its key departments' and its nation's welfare,betterment and economic prosperity.
My house is also a shrine. Can you please visit it Mr. President?
@dv sikka: It is not bribing the God, but the Indian Government.
I challenge Dr. Singh to make a comparable donation towards the upkeep of those Hindu temples that still stand in Pakistan.
@Mirza: Even with this news you cannot hide your animosity for everyone else in Pakistan except Zardari, PPP and his clan. Shame on you.
good deed indeed.
Even when the president performs pilgrimage the hatred does not stop. According to Quranic teachings it is God who gives the honor and who bestows dishonor and nobody else has the power to do that. Some people are liked and elected by the people and some never get that chance or honor. No amount of hatred and extremism can change the will of the people.
From the pocket of pakistan...?
No queue to visit Deband
Bribing the God to make Bilawal the next President.
It is a great gesture of faith, goodwill and peace. This must make the Wahabi and Salafies really upset. No wonder all of them hate mainstream Muslims.
Perhaps he will extend the same generosity to the flood victims of Sind.
Hope the million is from his Swiss account not public funds
Well i hope its coming from his own account ans is not a Pakistani Tax payers hard earned money....Id rather give that money to Balochistan for development than develop a shrine.