Sindhi stories: The Pir’s power, the Syed’s sway
The spiritual leaders of Sindh wield temporal power as well.
Ghousia Jamaat is led by Shah Mehmood Qureshi
KARACHI:
The influence of Pir and Syed families runs deep in Sindh. Not only do these families, especially the sajjada nashins (heirs/ caretakers) of the different gaddis, or seats, indirectly back particular political parties, but they also directly contest the elections as well.
Prominent dargahs include the Sarwari Jamaat led by the Makhdoom family of Hala, the Hur Jamaat led by Pir Pagaro, the Ghousia Jamaat led by Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Pir of Ranipur in Khairpur Mirs, and Bharchundi Sharif in the Ghotki district.
“I have closely been monitoring elections since the 1970s,” says Senior journalist Niaz Bhanbhro. “Every time, the families of Pir Pagara and the Pir of Ranipur oppose each other. The former fields candidates representing Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, while the latter is with Pakistan Peoples Party,” says Bhanbhro. “So far, the PPP has managed to win the provincial and national seats with a thumping majority.” In Sanghar district however, Pir Pagara’s Hur Jamaat is undefeated.
The Sarwari Jamaat also has influence. Its main darghah is located in district Matiari, from which former MNA and federal minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim, and his son Makhdoom Jamilul Zaman, won the national and provincial assembly seats on PPP tickets.
The Pirs of Bharchundi Sharif have always supported the PPP. Mian Abdul Haq, also known as Mian Mitho, won the National Assembly seat twice between 1988 and 2008. However, the PPP denied him an MNA ticket this time around.
In some cases, the power of the Pir stretches beyond their own constituency.
“Not only do we get votes in our own constituency, but we also direct our followers in other districts to vote for the PPP,” says Pir Syed Ghulam Shah Gilani, the sajjada nashin of his dargah in Dadu district.
Sindhi columnist Arbab Naik Muhammad says Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto gave a tough time to Pir and Syed families. “During Bhutto’s time, people started shifting their loyalties. They chanted slogans like na pir jo na mir jo, vote aa zameer jo (we will not vote for pirs or mirs,but according to our conscience),” he says.
But soon after Bhutto’s death, these families once again revived their influence.
“Some Pirs are religious and spiritual leaders, which is why they have followers. Some are big landlords who influence people because of their might and wealth,” says Naik.
Some, such as the heirs of of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Sachal Sarmast and Qalandar Lal Shahbaz refuse to play politics at all.
“Our job is to spread the message of our saints, which is tolerance, love, peace and harmony. Although the majority of Sindhis are followers of Shah Latif, we have never asked them for votes, because we do not believe in these dirty politics,” says Syed Nisar Hussain Shah, the sajjada nasheen of the Shah Latif shrine.
The Ghousia Jamaat, led by Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the vice-chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf, also has a large number of supporters in upper and lower Sindh. For the first time, this Jamaat has started organizing their khalifas (caliphs) in Sindh.
Zulfiqar Sameejo, former UC Nazim in Tharparkar, is affiliated with the PML-Q, but is a devotee of Hazaat Ghous Bahauddin Zakariya of Multan, with the present murshid being Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
“We are workers of the PML-Q but our murshid is more important than our party,” he says.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2013.
Correction: In an earlier version of this story, Sindh was once misspelled. The error has been fixed.
The influence of Pir and Syed families runs deep in Sindh. Not only do these families, especially the sajjada nashins (heirs/ caretakers) of the different gaddis, or seats, indirectly back particular political parties, but they also directly contest the elections as well.
Prominent dargahs include the Sarwari Jamaat led by the Makhdoom family of Hala, the Hur Jamaat led by Pir Pagaro, the Ghousia Jamaat led by Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Pir of Ranipur in Khairpur Mirs, and Bharchundi Sharif in the Ghotki district.
“I have closely been monitoring elections since the 1970s,” says Senior journalist Niaz Bhanbhro. “Every time, the families of Pir Pagara and the Pir of Ranipur oppose each other. The former fields candidates representing Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, while the latter is with Pakistan Peoples Party,” says Bhanbhro. “So far, the PPP has managed to win the provincial and national seats with a thumping majority.” In Sanghar district however, Pir Pagara’s Hur Jamaat is undefeated.
The Sarwari Jamaat also has influence. Its main darghah is located in district Matiari, from which former MNA and federal minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim, and his son Makhdoom Jamilul Zaman, won the national and provincial assembly seats on PPP tickets.
The Pirs of Bharchundi Sharif have always supported the PPP. Mian Abdul Haq, also known as Mian Mitho, won the National Assembly seat twice between 1988 and 2008. However, the PPP denied him an MNA ticket this time around.
In some cases, the power of the Pir stretches beyond their own constituency.
“Not only do we get votes in our own constituency, but we also direct our followers in other districts to vote for the PPP,” says Pir Syed Ghulam Shah Gilani, the sajjada nashin of his dargah in Dadu district.
Sindhi columnist Arbab Naik Muhammad says Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto gave a tough time to Pir and Syed families. “During Bhutto’s time, people started shifting their loyalties. They chanted slogans like na pir jo na mir jo, vote aa zameer jo (we will not vote for pirs or mirs,but according to our conscience),” he says.
But soon after Bhutto’s death, these families once again revived their influence.
“Some Pirs are religious and spiritual leaders, which is why they have followers. Some are big landlords who influence people because of their might and wealth,” says Naik.
Some, such as the heirs of of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Sachal Sarmast and Qalandar Lal Shahbaz refuse to play politics at all.
“Our job is to spread the message of our saints, which is tolerance, love, peace and harmony. Although the majority of Sindhis are followers of Shah Latif, we have never asked them for votes, because we do not believe in these dirty politics,” says Syed Nisar Hussain Shah, the sajjada nasheen of the Shah Latif shrine.
The Ghousia Jamaat, led by Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the vice-chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf, also has a large number of supporters in upper and lower Sindh. For the first time, this Jamaat has started organizing their khalifas (caliphs) in Sindh.
Zulfiqar Sameejo, former UC Nazim in Tharparkar, is affiliated with the PML-Q, but is a devotee of Hazaat Ghous Bahauddin Zakariya of Multan, with the present murshid being Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
“We are workers of the PML-Q but our murshid is more important than our party,” he says.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2013.
Correction: In an earlier version of this story, Sindh was once misspelled. The error has been fixed.