Late Mufti Abdul Shakoor receiving rich tributes for honesty & simple lifestyle

PESHAWAR: Amid rich tributes being paid to the late federal minister for religious affairs Mufti Abdul Shakoor by people from all walks of life, former KP minister Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan on Monday offered to bear the cost of treatment and education of his lone son.

People, irrespective of their political affiliations, widely praised the late minister for his simple living standards and good reputation. Mufti Abdul Shakoor was killed in a traffic accident in Islamabad recently. He belonged to the Bhittani tribe, living in the border area between Lakki Marwat and North Waziristan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He was laid to rest in his native village in the Lakki Marwat district on Sunday. It was after he met with a tragic accident and couldn’t survive that people came to know more about him and his simple living.

He had been a member of the National Assembly for more than four years and a federal minister for over a year, but could neither spend a lavish life nor build a house for his family.

In this age of materialism and commercialism, where general councillors and other elected representatives drive expensive vehicles and own properties, Mufti Abdul Shakoor still lived

in a mud-built house in his native town.

He received applause from people of all backgrounds who wished that other politicians could also learn a lesson from him. Even there are billionaires and millionaires in his Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal but it didn’t inspire a religious leader like Mufti Shakoor.

His son, Mohammad, is reportedly suffering from an undiagnosed disease that has affected his learing ability and education. Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan has offered to pay for his treatment as well as his education.

“Mohammad is the son of an honest religious leader. I will not let him suffer and I will pay for his treatment and education,” Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan said on his twitter account. It was apparently due to his honesty that Mufti Shakoor was widely respected in his party circles.

He had established a madrassa in Palosai area of Peshawar and organised his party. It was because of his strong connections with the local community that helped to become a nazim in Palosai. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Peshawar and then started receiving religious education.