Renowned scholar Allama Dr Zameer Akhtar Naqvi dies in Karachi

KARACHI: Renowned religious scholar Allama Dr Syed Zameer Akhtar Naqvi breathed his last here in the city on Sunday, his close friends confirmed.

Aged 76, the respected cleric was shifted to a private hospital in Karachi, reports said, after suffering a heart attack late Saturday.

His body would soon be shifted to the Ancholi Imambargah, his friends added, where his funeral prayers would be held after the Maghrib prayers.

Dr Naqvi was born in the Indian city of Lucknow on March 24, 1944.

A khatib and poet, he wrote dozens of books, including on poetry and elegy, as well as a two-volume biography on Qasim ibn Hasan. His book, Meraj Khattabat, consists of five volumes.

The scholar was also known across Pakistan and the world for lectures on science, history, and philosophy. His popularity was based not only on his knowledge and expertise but his love for his followers.

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail expressed sadness over the popular scholar's demise, his spokesperson said, adding that he prayed Dr Naqvi's forgiveness and elevation of ranks.

"May God grant patience to his bereaved family," Ismail said, as per his spokesperson.