The Indian Government has contacted Pakistani authorities with regard to the two clerics of Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah who have gone missing in Pakistan.
Eighty-year-old Syed Asif Ali Nizami, the head priest (Sajjadanashin) of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah and his nephew, Nazim Ali Nizami, are missing in Pakistan since March 15. The two had gone to visit the famous Daata Darbar shrine in lahore and were to catch a flight from there to Kara-
chi before returning to India.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Friday said that Pakistan Government has been requested for an update on both these men.
“Indian nationals Syed Asif Nizami aged 80 years and his nephew Nazim Ali Nizami had gone to Pakistan on 8 March 2017,” Swaraj tweeted.
“We have taken up this matter with Pakistan and requested them for an update on both the Indian nationals in Pakistan. Both are missing after they landed in Karachi airport,” Swaraj added.
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said the Indian High Comm-
ission has approached them and their “concerned quarters are looking into the matter.”
Pakistani media has claimed that the two men have been picked up by the Pak intelligence. According to sources, the two men had gone to lahore on March 14 to offer “chadar” at the Daata Darbar Sufi shrine. They were supposed to return to Karachi in the evening of March 15 by Shaheen Air. However, while the two Indians were at the lahore airport, their Karachi-based relative, Syed Wazir Nizami, got a call saying that certain papers of Nazim Ali were incorrect, hence, he had to be detained and cannot be allowed to travel to Karachi. The caller told Wazir Nizami that the other Indian Syed Asif Ali can proceed to Karachi. later, when Wazir Nizami reached Karachi airport to pick up Syed Asif Ali, he did not come out. Wazir Nizami had last spoken to Syed Asif Ali when he had landed at Karachi airport. Shaheen Airlines officials said that some people had taken Asif Ali with them from the Karachi airport.
The Indian authorities believe that things are not that simple as they seem otherwise why would someone check visa for a domestic flight after these men entered Pak through Karachi.