Two Indian Sufi clerics, including the head priest of New Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, have gone missing in Pakistan. News agency PTI reported later on Friday (March 17) that Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency was clueles about the duo's disappearance. The country's foreign office also said the same and added that it was pursuing the case.
Earlier, Sazid Ali Nizami, the eldest son of Syed Asif Ali Nizami, the head priest of the Dargah, told IANS that along with his father, Syed's nephew Nazim Nizami also went missing in the neighbouring country.
While Syed Nizami, 80, went missing from the Lahore airport, 60-year-old Nazim Nizami was not found again after he reached the airport in Karachi, Sazid said, adding that the Indian government had assured him of taking up the matter with Islamabad. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and other officials have been in touch with him.
Head priest's nephew was stopped at Lahore airport over documentation issues
The head priest's son said the elderly duo had gone to Karachi on March 6 to meet relatives and then headed to Lahore to offer 'chadar' at Baba Farid's shrine. On March 14, they offered another 'chadar' at Data Darbar sufi shrine in Lahore and it was the next day when they reached the Lahore airport to return to Karachi that Nazim was stopped by authorities to clear documentation.
Syed was allowed to board the flight but he also went missing mysteriously after reaching Karachi in the evening. According to Sazid, Syed had spoken to his relatives over phone but never turned up in person.
Sazid also said that the duo's mobile phones were switched off.
Citing sources, PTI also said the Indian government had taken up the matter with Pakistan, both in New Delhi as well through the Indian mission in Islamabad.
Exchanges between clerics of Delhi's Nizamuddin Dargah and the Daata Darbar in Lahore have been a traditional practice.
