More resignations expected at Pir Sialvi’s public gathering in Gujranwala

• Next public gathering to take place in Lahore

GUJRANWALA: The custodian of Sial Sharif shrine and spiritual leader of thousands of his disciples Pir Hameed-ud-Din Sialvi is all set to lead the second public gathering over the issue of Khatm-i-Naboowat (finality of prophethood) today (Sunday).

According to details, all the arrangements have been made here in the historical Sheranwala Garden of Gujranwala for the public gathering of thousands of disciples of Pir Sialvi—a veteran Muslim Leaguer as he remained Senator from 1988 to 1993.

A large number of religious and spiritual scholars hailing from different shrines are also scheduled to participate in the public gathering on Sunday. On top of that, some resignations from the parliamentarians of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) are also expected, as over a dozen Members Punjab Assembly (MPAs) and Members National Assembly (MNAs) have shown their allegiance with Pir of Sial Sharif over the issue of Khatm-i-Naboowat, demanding the resignation from Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah.

The PML-N members who have met with Pir Sialvi while showing their loyalty to him since the issue of Khatm-i-Naboowat surfaced included Sheikh Muhammad Akram from Jhang (NA-89), Ghulam Muhammad Lali from Jhang (NA-87), Chaudhry Hamid Hameed from Sargodha (NA-66), Ghulam Bibi Bharwana from Jhang (NA-88), Dr Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti from Sargodha (NA-67), Maulana Rehmatullah from Jhang (PP-74), Malik Waris Kallu from Khushab (PP- 42), Muhammad Khan from Jhang (PP-81), Sahibzada Ghulam Nizamuddin Sialvi from Sargodha (PP-37), Chaudhry Abdul Razzaq Dhillon from Sargodha (PP-33), Rana Munawar Ghous from Sargodha (PP-36), and Dr Nisar Jatt from Faisalabad (NA-81).

It is pertinent to mention here that three MPAs and two MNAs—Muhammad Khan from Jhang (PP-81), Sahibzada Ghulam Nizamuddin Sialvi from Sargodha (PP-37) and Maulana Rehmatullah from Jhang (PP-74) and MNAs Ghulam Bibi Bharwana from Jhang (NA-88) and Dr Nisar Jatt from Faisalabad (NA-81)—have already tendered their resignations after an announcement at the last public gathering of Pir Sialvi in the Dhobi Gat ground of Faisalabad on December 10.

Talking to Pakistan Today, Sahibzada Ghulam Nizamuddin Sialvi—nephew of Pir Sialvi who has already resigned—said they were expecting some more resignations in the Gujranwala public gathering today. However, he was reluctant to reveal the names of those who will announce their resignations at Gujranwala.

“A very large number of religious and spiritual leaders will also address our public gathering in Gujranwala; we also have the support of Sunni Ittehad Council,” he said, adding that their next public gathering might take place at the provincial capital Lahore.

It is worth mentioning here that both sides of the road from Muridkay to Gujranwala at GT Road are inundated with the flexes of notable spiritual leaders of renowned shrines, including Sahibzada Mian Jalil Ahmed Sharaqpuri of Sharaqpur Sharif and Pir Ghulam Nizam-ud-Din Jami of Golra Sharif shrine, to welcome Pir Sialvi. Moreover, a considerable religious vote bank is also present in Gujranwala, keeping in view that a religious scholar backed by Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Maulana Qazi Hameed-Ullah was also elected from this constituency NA-96 in the elections of 2002, and today’s public gathering of Pir Sialvi is also scheduled within the same constituency.

WHO IS PIR SIALVI?

Khawaja Pir Hameed-ud-Din Sialvi is the custodian of Sial Sharif shrine located in Sargodha, and several parliamentarians of Punjab are also associated with his shrine because of the influence of Pir Sialvi over their voters in their respective constituencies of Faisalabad, Chaniot, Jhang, Khushab and Sargodha districts. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif also contested from Sargodha NA-68 in 2013; later, he decided to retain his seat from Lahore’s NA-120. Pir Sialvi demanded the ticket for the by-election for his son Qasim Sialvi, as he had rigorously supported Nawaz Sharif in his election. Sialvi, however, was not given the ticket for the by-election; therefore, the shrine supported an independent candidate Javed Hussain Shah, who lost the elections but managed to grab over 40,000 votes due to the influence of Pir Sialvi in the constituency.