Pir Sahib Pagara

EARLY LIFE OF PIR PAGARA:

He was born in pir Goth on 22nd November1928. He had his primary education at pir Jo Goth. During arrest of his father, Education was looked after by kalifas at Dargah Sharif. His circumcision was perfumed at Grange bungalow near Sanghar.

From 8th May 1943 to 1946.
In1946 he was kept under house arrest along with his Younger brother and family members in Karachi.He stayed three years Aligrah from 1943 to 1946.in 1946 he was shifted by Ship to liver pool (ENGLAND) In England he was admitted in Majiour Davis Private School and was under arrested. This private school was no less than a hell.


This was in far flung rural area near hero in pioneer. There were only 12-13 students in this school all from foreign countries belonging to those families who opposed British rule in their countries. In this school he had no choose of subjects, but to study whatever administration said. He was forced to study a Christianity subject of Divinity to Learn French and Latin.
In 1949 Prime Minister Liaqut Ali Khan met him in England and assured of restoration of Status of Pir Pagara On 4th February 1952 his status of pir Pagara was officially restored and Dasterbandi was done.

EDUCATION:


PIR PAGARA HAD PRIMARY EDUCATION AT PIR JO GOTH
Then for some time at Karachi when he was under house arrest from 1946 he got his education at Aligarh.
In Aligarh Kazi Sadrruddin a prosecuting Inspector Police used to teach Quran. From 1946 to 1952 in Liver pool [England] in Major Davis school as told above. He had his graduation from England.

LATER LIFE OF PIR SAHIB PAGARA SHAH MORDAN SHAH SANI AFTER RESTORATION OF GADI.
Present Pir Sahib has great dominating and impressing personality. Pir Sahib is very kind hearted sympathetic, courageous and brave man. Immediately after restoration of Gadi he had many challenges. Most important challenge was to restore the image of Hur Jamat. British during last 30 years had tarnished the image of Jamat and projected the Jamat as terrorist. It was a big task to clarify the position of the Jamat to organize the scattered and absconded Jamat and to restore confidence in Jamat. He took special interest in education of Jamat and to make Jamat law abiding and peaceful citizens. He tried for academic as well as religious education. He got hur scholar-ship sanctioned by Government for poor hur students.
Philanthropic people in Jamat also supported the poor, intelligent and deserving hur students. Pir Sahib him self also paid educational expenses of poor and deserving hur students. Pir Sahib repeatedly stressed the need of education particularly higher education both males and females.
For religious education Pir Sahib on May 1952 established Jamia Rashidia at Dargah Sharif. Management and expenses of jamia was the responsibility of Dargah. By now there are about eight branches of Jamia Rashdia in different cities of Sindh from where thousands of muftis, hafiz of Quran, Molvi, Alams, and Fazils are produced who are serving in different cities of Sindh. He had established a beautiful library at Dargah Sharif which has lacks of valuable and precious books. Though he is heavily busy, he is the only leader in Pakistan who attends his telephone personally, directly, so it is very easy to talk to him for any problem. Pir Sahib married in 1954 to daughter of Makhdoom Maliak Syed Ghulam Miran Shah Pir Sahib has three sons, Sibghtullah Shah [Raga sain], Ali Gohar Shah, Sadaruddin Shah[Younis sain].
After restoration of Gadi he called all the absconders of hur Jamat at Dargah Sharif, took their photographs personally. Those having major cases were handed to Government and advised to face cases and almost all of them were freed as the cases were false. Those who had minor cases or no cases were asked to live peace fully like law abiding Citizens. After consultation with Khalifas and seeking permission form Government in 1952 Pir Sahib made a program to meet Jamat and tour the different areas. He came to hunting first in Makhi and Awadh. Till that time Hurs were in concentration camps. Some people advised him to go to camps so that followers inside camps can see him. He refused and said I will burn all these camps. It happened so, that after a few days all camps caught fire. Any way the inmates of camps were brought out side of camps in groups to see their leader. Pir Pagara never visited any foreign country except England [during arrest] and Saudi Arabia [for religious obligations]. Pir Pagara has no account or property in any foreign country.

HORSE RACING - SPORT OF KINGS

Pir Sahib is very fond of Hunting some areas as Awadh is reserved for.

Pir Sahib hunting where no body else is allowed to hunt.

Pir Sahib is very fond of horses and horse racings. He has many horses of high breed, which often win the races Karachi race club has been restored only with Pir Sahib's efforts.

Forecasting is also hobby of Pir Sahib. His Political forecast often comes true.

HUR MOVEMENT:

Hur movement was actually started in the days of Sibghtullah Shah Bad Shah.[1831-1779]and reached its peak in the days Sibghtullah Shah Shaheed Suraih Bad Shah, Hurs become active against britishers, so rulers sent every active person to Vasarpur district Ahmed Nangar for Jail in India.

Sibghatullah Shah 1 provided forces to Syed Ahmed Shaheed to fight against Sikhs and since then these brave people are called as Hurs [free people] freedom struggle was practically started by Syed Sibghtullah Shah Shaheed Awal in 1246[Hijri].


Pagaras' and their followers fought for freedom against British rulers and their supporters for 108 years from 1843 to 1951.

In 1922 when Sibghtullah Shah II [Sarah Bad Shah] becomes Pir Pagara he was only 12 years old. Very soon he realized that British officer’s behavior towards Hur Jamat or Sindhi people was insulting and Humiliating, he resented and rose voiced against British rulers. He organized, encouraged and determined to continue struggle against British rulers. As a result Marsha law was imposed by British rulers to control hur movement. Pir Sahib made Grange Bungalow as his general head quarter. He with planning recruited his followers for armed struggle. They were trained for fight and to continue armed struggle. This act of Pir Sahib raised slogan “home land or death”. After the arrest of Pir Sahib Hurs increased their activities against Government.
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Hurs started attacking Police stations, Government buildings, Railway Stations, Telephone System and irrigation system to paralyze Government and to pressurize Government to release their spiritual leader. Government as a result started arrest of Hurs and their leaders. Governments established false cases against them and punished them heavily after summary trials.

Pir Sahib had succeeded in telling his intensify their struggle and activities if he is arrested. Railway train Lahore mail was derailed by Hurs on 16th may 1942.
When Hurs attacked army or police they raised slogan of “Bheg Pagara” . To crush Hurs, Grange Bungalow their center was bombarded and destroyed on 26th may 43. Lastly he was arrested on 24th October 1941 & was sent to seoni in India jail. Dargah Sharif & bungalow in pir Jo Goth were also destroyed in 1943.
In 1942 the important leaders of hur Jamat were also arrested. Pir Sahib was brought back from Seaoni to Sindh in January 1943 and was arrested in Hyderabad central jail. The hurs made makhi forest as their base for activities. Government when failed to control struggle by land forces, started air bombing over grange bungalow, makhi forest and Dargah Sharif.

Hurs were ordered them not to give daily attendance instead become absconder and to continue struggle and activities. Government ultimately arrested thousands of hur leaders along with their families and kept them in concentration camps [where attendance was taken in morning and evening].They were in camps till 1952 when the present Pir Sahib Pagara was crowned and Gadi was restored.

Abdul Sattar Edhi

About Edhi Foundation

Edhi established his first welfare centre and then the Bilqis Edhi Trust with a mere Rs. 5000. What started as a one-man show operating from a single room in Karachi is now the Edhi Foundation, the largest welfare organization in Pakistan. The foundation has over 300 centers across the country, in big cities, small towns and remote rural areas, providing medical aid, family planning and emergency assistance. They own air ambulances, providing quick access to far-flung areas.

In Karachi alone, the Edhi Foundation runs 8 hospitals providing free medical care, eye hospitals, diabetic centers, surgical units, a 4- bed cancer hospital and mobile dispensaries. In addition to these the Foundation also manages two blood banks in Karachi.

20,000 abandoned babies have been saved
40,000 qualified nurses have been trained
50,000 orphans are housed in Edhi Homes
1 million babies have been delivered in Edhi Maternity Centers

Edhi is to Karachi what Mother Teresa was to the poor of Calcutta. Edhi and wife Bilquees have spent a lifetime working for people and their welfare work to date remains unparalleled in Pakistan. They are both very private people who shun publicity. They have had little formal education, and are totally committed to the cause of helping the poor and needy.


The Dawn of Edhi Foundation

What started as a one-man show operating from a single room in Karachi is now the Edhi Foundation, the largest welfare organization in Pakistan. The foundation has over 300 centers across the country, in big cities, small towns and remote rural areas, providing medical aid, family planning and emergency assistance.

Born in 1928 in Bantwa , Gujarat, India , Edhi’s family belonged to the industrious Memon community. From a young age his mother taught Edhi to be kind towards others and to help the poor. In 1947 the family migrated to Pakistan and settled in Karachi. That was a time of great emotional trauma and social and political upheaval. Edhi became involved in social work and began working with welfare organisations and soon started his own dispensary, providing medical aid to the poor. He bought his first ambulance, an old van which he called the "poor man’s van" and went around the city providing medical help and burying unclaimed bodies. His van became his advertisement and soon he came to be known for his work with the poor. As a consequence, donations started pouring in and his operations expanded, employing additional nurses and staff. It was here that Edhi met his wife Bilquees who was a trainee nurse at the dispensary. They were married in 1966. Bilquees became the ideal wife for Edhi, totally committed to welfare work.

Edhi established his first welfare centre and then the Edhi Trust with a mere Rs. 5000 [$1000]. The Edhi Foundation grew as people began to recognize its humanitarian aims. In 1973 when an old apartment building collapsed in Karachi, Edhi’s ambulances and volunteers were the first to reach the scene and start rescue operations. From then, on, through the troubles in Karachi and all over the country, Edhi’s ambulances have been rescuing and taking the injured to hospitals and burying unclaimed bodies. They go to places where even government agencies hesitate to venture.

The Edhi Foundation is the first of its kind in South Asia that owns air ambulances, providing quick access to far-flung areas. Whether it is a train accident or a bomb blast, Edhi ambulances are the first to arrive. The foundation relies on the support of its 3, 500 workers and thousands of volunteers who form the backbone of the organisation


Edhi's Founder

Despite the growth of the foundation, Edhi remains a very down to earth person. Dressed always in a grey homespun cotton, he has a hands on approach to his work, sweeping his own room and even cleaning the gutter if need be. Apart from the one room, which he uses for his living quarters, the rest of the building serves as his workplace in Mithadar, a locality of old Karachi that is full of narrow streets and congested alleyways. Adjoining their living room is a small kitchen where Bilquees usually prepares the midday meal. Next to it is a washing area where bodies are bathed and prepared for burial..

When Edhi is not travelling to supervise his other centres, a typical day for him begins at five in the morning with Fajr prayers. His work starts thereafter answering any calls for help, organizing and meeting people in need while afternoons are spent at various centres and hospitals all over the city. In the evening he dines with hundreds of poor at his "langar" [free community meals common among Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs] at another Edhi centre in the city. His Fridays are invariably spent at homes for the destitute children where Edhi personally helps bathe the ones who are physically handicapped, before joining them for Friday prayers. Occasionally, when he is able to, he also takes them out for picnics.

Assets of Edhi Foundation

In Karachi alone, the Edhi Foundation runs 8 hospitals providing free medical care, eye hospitals, diabetic centres, surgical units, a 4- bed cancer hospital and mobile dispensaries. In addition to these the Foundation also manages two blood banks in Karachi. As with other Edhi services, employed professionals and volunteers run these. The foundation has a Legal aid department, which provides free services and has secured the release of countless innocent prisoners.

Commissioned doctors visit jails on a regular basis and also supply food and other essentials to the inmates. There are 15 " Apna Ghar" ["Your Homes"] homes for the destitute children, runaways, and psychotics and the Edhi Foundation states that over the years 3 million children have been rehabilitated and reunited with their families thorough the Edhi network.

The foundation also has an education scheme, which apart from teaching reading and writing covers various vocational activities such as driving, pharmacy and para-medical training. The emphasis is on self-sufficiency. The Edhi Foundation has branches in several countries where they provide relief to refugees in the USA , UK , Canada , Japan , and Bangladesh . In 1991 the Foundation provided aid o victims of the Gulf war and earthquake victims in Iran and Egypt .


Vision Of the Foundation

Edhi plans mass campaigns against narcotics, illiteracy, population control and basic hygiene. Edhi's wife Bilquees works in the areas of maternity centre management. She runs 6 nursing training schools in Karachi , which provide basic training courses. These centres have so far trained over 40,000 qualified nurses. Some 20,000 abandoned babies have been saved and about a million babies have been delivered in the Edhi maternity homes. Bilquees also supervises the food that is supplied to the Edhi hospitals in Karachi . The total number of orphans in Edhi housing is 50,000 and Edhi's two daughters and one son assist in the running of the orphanages and the automation of these institutions.

Edhi's vision is to create an institution that will carry on his life's work and survive for a long time to come. His dream is that of a Pakistan as a modern welfare state, which provides a safety net for the poor and needy while providing basic health and education with vocational skills. A welfare state Edhi feels is the only way to tackle Pakistan 's myriad social problems. He hopes that one day, Pakistan will be a model for other developing countries.

In 1985 Edhi received the Nishan-e-Imtiaz from the Government of Pakistan and in recognition of their services the Government of Philippines awarded Edhi & Bilquees the Magsayay award.

The Edhi Foundation refuses to take any aid from the Government, thereby maintaining its independence

Ansar Burney, Advocate

Chairman and Founder Ansar Burney Trust

It takes grit, commitment and perseverance to be a man of integrity. To be human and to act human, to be a person who is able to contribute his share for the cause of humanity in letter and spirit, to be a kind soul who feels the pain and unbearably enough to lose control, to be able to help others without any need of worldly glory, to be a person like Ansar Burney.

Everything in this universe is for others: the trees, the rivers and all other beauties of seasons and nature. The trees do not eat up their own fruit, the rivers do not drink their own water; and in the same way ‘selfless people’ like Ansar Burney live for others.

Be it the grave issue of ‘underage child camel jockeys’, the ordeal of ‘Zafran Bibi’ who was involved in a case of rape and sentenced to death by stoning, Murder of Pakistanis in Macedonia – in the name of war against terror, human trafficking of young girls for prostitution, Slavery or the illegal confinements at Guantanamo Bay; Ansar Burney has always stood as an icon of human rights.

Ansar Burney, born on August 14th 1956 at Karachi, he is son of Syed Mukhtar Ahmed Burney, and he was the first man to introduce true human rights in Pakistan a couple of decades ago.

A graduate of Masters and Law from Karachi University and honorary recipient of a PhD. in Philosophy from Sri Lanka, Ansar Burney, Advocate started his noble mission in 1980 by setting up the "Ansar Burney Trust", "Prisoners Aid Society" and "Bureau of Missing and Kidnapped Children/Persons" in Karachi Pakistan.


During his education he was a very prominent student leader, and as such, always raised his voice for justice, human dignity and civil rights. This landed him in a lot of trouble on several occasions with the military government of the time. In 1977, Ansar Burney, then aged 20, was arrested on charges of delivering speeches against Martial Law and favour of Democracy and sentenced for 8 months rigorous imprisonment by the Martial Law Court.

Upon release in 1978, the Martial Law Authorities once again arrested him and sent him to Karachi Prison for 2 more months’ detention. In 1979 he was again arrested for the third time and detained for a month.

During these periods of detention in different Pakistani prisons, Ansar Burney witnessed the miserable conditions of prisons and their prisoners. He met many people who were locked up for years and years without ever having committed a crime; forced into detention with false criminal charges.

That was the time that he decided to help those in need and in 1980-81 after completing his law degree, Ansar Burney, Advocate started working on his project to bring reforms in prisons and get the release of innocent and illegally confined prisoners. He also started working against Slavery and against human trafficking.

The Ansar Burney Trust was set up as a non-governmental, non-political and non-profitable human and civil rights organization. Its main objective was to struggle for the release of innocent persons who were kept in prisons or in mental asylums illegally or without any justification and to create awareness against human trafficking.

As a result of his continued and selfless efforts for the past so many years, Mr. Ansar Burney has so far been able to secure release of more than 750,000 (Seven hundred and fifty thousand) innocent prisoners who were illegally imprisoned in Pakistan and abroad; some released after as much as 50 to 55 years of illegal confinement.

Some were even born in prisons and mental asylums where they grew up and lived as prisoners or patients for 35 to 40 long years of their lives; only released and rehabilitated with their families and society because of the hectic efforts of Ansar Burney and the Ansar Burney Trust.



Ansar Burney also met aids affected prisoners and noticed homosexuality very common in prisons for that reason he also starts creating awareness against HIV positive (aids). He started visiting Prisons, Madrasas (Religious Schools) and prostitutes and giving them education/lectures and started working practically to create awareness and also providing them safety/protection against HIV. The Ansar Burney Trust also providing medical help to aid prisoners and HIV positive people in Pakistan.

The "Ansar Burney Trust" has also arranged release of around almost 20,000 (twenty thousand) persons from mental asylums and mental wards of prisons. These were not mental cases but were kept in these asylums in inhumane conditions by influential persons due to their own vested interests.

Mr. Burney has also been successful in tracing out around 170,000 (one hundred and seventy thousand) children through his Bureau of Missing Persons who were safely delivered to their families. These include children who were set free from bounded labor camps, underage child camel jockeys and young girls who had been sold away or trafficked for prostitution.

Once established, the Ansar Burney Trust also started their struggle to fight against the inhumane and degrading treatment of women in Pakistan and abroad. With a purpose to bring those who abused women to justice, Ansar Burney has fought several cases for the cause of women’s rights and one of the success stories has been the closure of several women “mandis” (like animal markets for the sale of girls) in Pakistan.

Ansar Burney Trust’s continued efforts became fruitful when Ansar Burney once again succeeded in getting the release of thousands of slaved underage children from ‘Modern day Slavery’. These children were from the ages of 3 years to 10 years old only. These underage children as ‘Child Camel Jockeys’ were on slavery in the Middle Eastern countries almost 16 to 17 hours a day and were living in private prisons. During their slavery these underage children were getting just two biscuits a day as food so that they should not gain weight. After the release of these children Ansar Burney sent them back to their respective countries for their rehabilitation.


Ansar Burney Trust also able to got released trafficked young girls from prostitution in Middle Eastern and European countries.

Mr. Burney has also sent/taken humanitarian aid to different parts of Pakistan as well abroad. During the drought in Pakistan, Mr. Burney personally visited several affected areas and supervised the humanitarian aid operation to the region by the ABT.

In occasions this process, Ansar Burney stumbled upon the use of Hindu “Haris” (Bonded Labourers) as slaves in the interior Sindh Province of Pakistan. After some hectic efforts and persistence, the Trust was successful in freeing around 7,000 “Haris”; a 160 of who in danger of being attacked by their previous owners were taken in by the Trust and relocated to a more secure location.

Currently, Ansar Burney and the Ansar Burney Trust have been working round the clock to put a stop to the smuggling and trafficking of children and young girls and their use as camel jockeys and prostitution in the Middle East, to date, a 1100 children some as young as 3 years to 12 years of age have been released from camps in the UAE alone.

In 1984, the Chief Martial Law Administrator of Pakistan, General Mohammed Zia-ul-Haque, twice offered Mr. Burney the position of Federal Minister of Pakistan; an offer Mr. Burney refused in order to stay impartial and unaffiliated and to continue his human rights work without any political reservations or activities. Since then he has on several been offered ministerial and political positions but has refused, re-emphasizing the Trust’s nature as a truly independent and non-political organization. However, he took charge as Federal Minister for Human rights in the non-political interim set-up in 2007. On November 16, 2007, Ansar Burney was sworn in as Pakistani Federal Minister for Human Rights - to head the newly established Human Rights Ministry of Pakistan, first such Ministry in the history of Pakistan. He managed the Human Rights Ministry with a sense of duty and great passion..

However, positive attention is not all Mr. Burney has received. His work has resulted in the making of many enemies. He has been attacked several times and continually receives death threats. His name is on the "Terrorist Hit List" which was leaked into newspapers from Pakistani Intelligence Agencies. Ansar Burney Trust offices have been attacked and employees killed. Members of the Burney family have also been attacked and severely injured.

Ambulances of the Trust have been fired upon, burnt and stoned by persons against whom Mr. Burney has fought human rights cases. The attacks continue to this day...

In relation to his human and civil rights work, Ansar Burney, Advocate has attended hundreds of National and International conferences, groups and forums. In recognition of his great human and civil rights work, he has received well over 200 awards and medals from home as well as from abroad.

On 23rd March 2002, he was conferred with Pakistan’s National Civil Award "Sitar-i-Imtiaz", the first national award in the history of Pakistan in the field of human rights. Ansar Burney was officially declared an 'Anti-Human Trafficking Hero' in 2005 “ by the United States, State Department. Ansar Burney, in March 2008, elected as Member / Expert Advisor in the United Nations Human Rights Council Advisory Committee at Geneva, one out of 18 elected from throughout the world.

Whenever a natural calamity such as earthquake or flood hits Pakistan, ‘Ansar Burney Trust’ is there to lend a helping hand. Ansar Burney and his wife Shaheen Burney take pride in helping others. They derive pleasure by sharing smiles and restoring honor and dignity to downtrodden people.

Mr. Ansar Burney, Advocate got married with Shaheen on May 28, 1981 and they have three children Fahad Burney, Raheel Burney and daughter Sana Burney.

As pakistani we are proud that we have Ansar Burney in Pakistan.

You hope love is all you need

Today is Valentine’s Day, when roses are given and gifts are received. It’s the day when friends give friends flowers for fun, when people receive chocolates from secret admirers, when the cheesiest romance movies are run and rerun on television from morning to night. Yep, the day when you get constant smses from mobile network companies telling you about fantastic deals to tell someone you love them in only a hundred bucks (exclusive of all taxes).

The idea has been done to death and its fascinating how no one ever gets bored of it; it’s like they like knowing all the dialogues in Sleepless in Seattle, which has a nine out of ten chance of being played on at least one TV channel today.Maybe they do this because love is not so easy to celebrate, it’s a simple explanation, they celebrate today because they don’t have to think about anything else, there is no practicality practiced on February the 14th, no thinking about class, culture, will the parents approve, what’s next, where is all this going and the whole shebang that the mind goes through and not the heart. Love changes everything, because you see, when your friends your just friends, it’s funny how things like cast, culture and especially religion don’t get in the way of friendship; it’s almost like these things don’t really matter in everyday life. But add love to the mix, and one is bound to be thrown into every obstacle, dilemma and drama.

Take Jamal and Anjali’s case as an example. Both studied at the same college, both had the same circle of friends and both slowly began to like each other. Everything was normal, they went through the usual boy meets girl, boy tells girls he likes her, girl says no, but miraculously on Valentine’s Day she changes her mind and says yes, boy gets happy, they start going out nonsense. One thing you don’t know about Jamal and Anjali, is that Jamal is Muslim and Anjali, Hindu. This difference was never brought up nor was it an issue; nothing really mattered, because honestly, such aspects of religion could not be classified as day to day praying five times a day sort of thing. However, if someone doesn’t bring it up in a conversation doesn’t mean no one is thinking about it.

But it was too early to jump to conclusions, “you do know what you’re doing,” was all a friend of Jamal asked him. Yes I like her, was the reply. “Then fine, go for it.” And that was that, they never discussed it again. Even though Jamal and Anjali never discussed it with anyone and no one knows what they think, their friends all individually thought about it, and somehow, they all knew that each of them has in fact let the thought simmer in their mind. Not because they were against the idea, but because of all the complications that could arise from the idea. For others it was good gossip, “just a phase, it’ll end when they graduate and go to separate universities,” was their conclusion. They were proven wrong, Jamal and Anjali kept their relationship going even when they were literally worlds apart. “It won’t last long, they’ll get sick of the effort,” others said. Maybe secretly their friends even thought the same - they were hoping that breaking up on matters like being worlds apart in different universities won’t be as bad as breaking up over differences in religion. Because they understand the fact that whatever happens between them will not just affect only them, they knew that they will have a part to play in what the two decide to do and they knew that they too will be affected by it. In simple things like friendship, one never cares about religion, but in love and relationships, you get hit by it left, right and centre. No one knows what Jamal and Anjali think and their friends worry about them. They worry if things keep going the way they are and they decide to marry, what will they face? Whose parents will make the bigger fuss? Who’ll get kicked out, who’ll get cut off, will one of them have to change to compromise what they believe in and if so which one? They worry about the fact that if things crash because of the amount of differences and the load of compromises they’ll have to divide between them, as friends. Which one will they support, how will they choose? They know that they have a huge part to play ahead, and they know that both ways will be utterly complicated, devastatingly uncomfortable and just plain chaotic. (DT)