Mystery shrouds case of missing chief clerics of Nizamuddin Dargah

ISLAMABAD: Mystery shrouded the missing of two chief clerics of India’s Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah as investigators intensified their efforts for their immediate recovery in Pakistan.

Syed Asif Ali Nizami (Chief Priest) and his nephew Nazim al Nizami arrived in Karachi to meet their relatives twelve days ago (March 6, 2017). Both of them went missing on March 14—one went missing at departure lounge of Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore and the other at the arrival terminal of Jinnah International Airport, Karachi.

"My father and cousin went missing since March 14. We are really upset. We appeal to Pakistani authorities to ensure their early recovery,” Syed Sajid Ali Nizami, son of Syed Asif Ali Nizami told The News on Friday.

His son said both of them travelled from New Delhi Airport to Karachi via Pakistan International Airlines on March 6, 2017.

"My father and cousin spent a week with my aunt in Tunisha Line, Nizami Nagri Karachi. Then on March 13, they visited Daata Darbar shrine in Lahore. Next day both offered a 'chadar' at Baba Fareed Ganj Shakar Shrine and wanted to take their flight to Karachi. They reached Lahore airport to take Shaheen Airlines flight for Karachi at 4:30 pm. But authorities stopped my cousin and asked him to get some documentation cleared—but my father was asked to take the flight," Sajid Nizami told this correspondent from Delhi. Mr Nizami quoted his Pakistani cousin Wazir Nizami who was supposed to receive both guests at Karachi airport as saying, “My father told him [Wazir Nizami] soon after landing that he [Syed Asif] was being questioned by some unknown persons—your cousin [Nazim] was also stopped at airport and also missed the flight.”

"After that both visiting clerics’ mobile phones were switched off. Since then our Pakistani hosts have had no information about them," he went on to say that his father met his sister after 30 years. But Nizami family in Pakistan did not respond to queries till filing of this story.

Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs, it seemed, has yet to gather facts from authorities. She tweeted: "Indian nationals Syed Asif Ali Nizami aged 80 years and his nephew Nazim Ali Nizami had gone to Pakistan on 8 March 2017."

But his son told this correspondent that his father and cousin reached Karachi on March 6, 2017. "We have taken up this matter with the government of Pakistan and requested them for an update on both the Indian nationals in Pakistan."

Pakistan Foreign Office in its official response said the matter is being investigated. "The FO received Indian MEA's request through Pakistan high commission in New Delhi last evening. We referred the matter to the concerned quarters. They are actively pursuing the matter," Nafees Zakariya, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Pakistani Interior Ministry did not comment on this serious issue, which was otherwise the whole matter. “Due to sensitivity of the matter we cannot comment until we obtain some solid clue about these two Indian nationals,” a senior official told this correspondent on Friday’s night.