I still remember clearly when I first saw him and his younger brother living in Zia Manzil in Aligarh. As young people, we did talk to each other across the short boundary wall.
Later, I also met the younger Pir Sahib in Mr Junejo’s house in Lahore, when he was the railway minister in One Unit. He recognised me and was happy to recall those old days. I also met senior Pir sahib once with a relation of mine. Still later, I submitted my book on World Peace through his attendants but could not see him.
However I realized the greatness of his ancestors, when I met the head of Mujahid tribe in 1950 in Peshawar, who offered first hand account of the jihad. His forefathers had come from Bihar with the first jihad led by Syed Ahmad Shaheed Barailvi, against the Sikhs, who had occupied Afghanistan and were reported to be oppressing the Muslims there, apparently in league with the British.
The huge group of over hundred thousand Muslims from the entire Indian subontinent from Bengal, Bihar UP etc had been greeted by the forefathers of the Pir Pagara and had actively helped them in their efforts of overthrowing the Sikhs from Afghanistan and Peshawar.
The praise for the forefathers of Pir Pagara, narrated by the head of this Mujahid tribe, indicated the greatness of this family and their followers, who always stood like rock against the atrocities of the British. In view of these facts, I would request the Aligarh Old Boys Association to arrange a special commemoration for the late Pir Pagara.
SYED MOHSIN H RIZVI
Karachi
