Two Nizamuddin Dargah clerics go missing in Pakistan, India takes up matter with Nawaz Sharif government

Delhi: Two sufi clerics of Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah have gone missing in Pakistan, family claimed on Thursday, prompting India to take up the matter with the Pakistani government.

According to official sources in New Delhi, Asif Nizami, the chief priest, and Nazim Nizami had gone to visit the famous Daata Darbar shrine in Lahore and were to catch a flight from there to Karachi yesterday.

"As per their families, while Asif was allowed to go to Karachi, Nazim was stopped at the Lahore airport on grounds of incomplete travel papers. While Nazim went missing from Lahore airport, Asif went missing after arriving at the Karachi airport," a source said, as per PTI.

The matter has been taken up with the Pakistan government both in New Delhi as well as through the Indian mission in Islamabad, the source said.

The duo had gone to Karachi to meet their relatives on March 8 before travelling to Lahore to visit the shrine.

"My father Syed Asif Ali Nizami, 80, and his nephew Nazim Nizami, 60, went missing from Lahore and Karachi airports, respectively, on Wednesday evening," Asif's elder son Sazid Ali Nizami told IANS. 

He said that his father and cousin went to Karachi in Pakistan on March 6 from where they visited Lahore on March 13 to offer "Chadar" at Baba Farid's shrine, the master of Baba Nizamuddin. 

"On March 14, they offered another Chadar at Data Darbar Sufi shrine in Lahore. The next day they reached at Lahore airport to take a flight for Karachi at 4.30 pm. At the Lahore airport my cousin was stopped by the airport authorities to clear some documentation and my father was asked to board the flight. 

"My father reached Karachi airport at 6 pm but my cousin could not join him. At the airport my father talked to my relatives on phone and informed them to come outside, but he did not come," Sazid said. 

Sazid further said that my father and cousin's mobile phones were also switched off. 

"Pakistani authorities and police are still clueless about them," Sazid said. 

Exchanges between clerics of the Nizamuddin Dargah and the Daata Darbar are part of a regular tradition. 

(With Agency inputs)