Khairpur's 'last princess' passes away in Karachi

Published February 8, 2019
The late princess frequently held religious gatherings at Faiz Mahal. — File
The late princess frequently held religious gatherings at Faiz Mahal. — File

The wife of the last ruler of Khairpur — a princely state before its accession to Pakistan — passed away on Thursday at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) after a protracted illness, according to SIUT officials.

Alya Talpur, wife of Prince Mir Ali Murad Khan Talpur II, was admitted to SIUT around three weeks ago, said the hospital spokesperson, Dr Bakhsh Ali.

"She had been on dialysis for the past eight to 10 years," he told Dawn.

The princess was the daughter of the prominent religious scholar, Allama Rasheed Turabi.

She leaves behind two sons, Mir Abbas Raza Khan Talpur and Mir Mehdi Raza Khan Talpur, and a daughter to mourn her death.

Alya Talpur had been active in organising religious gatherings at the famous ‘Faiz Mahal’, located on Kot Diji's hillside.

Take a look: The Majestic Faiz Mahal

She was also involved in philanthropy and the promotion of education among boys and girls in Khairpur, recalled writer and journalist, Mumtaz Bukhari, who has written a drama on the royal family and produced a documentary on the same.

The late princess provided a school near her Kot Diji residence and received a rent of only one rupee ‘just to maintain her ownership’ of the school building, added Bukhari.

Opinion

Editorial

Growth to stability
Updated 29 Apr, 2026

Growth to stability

THE State Bank’s decision to raise its key policy rate by 100 basis points to 11.5pc signals a shift in priorities...
Constitutional order
29 Apr, 2026

Constitutional order

FOLLOWING the passage of the 26th and 27th Amendments, in 2024 and 2025 respectively, jurists and members of the...
Protecting childhood
29 Apr, 2026

Protecting childhood

AN important victory for child protection was secured on Monday with the Punjab Assembly’s passage of the Child...
Unlearnt lessons
Updated 28 Apr, 2026

Unlearnt lessons

THE US is undoubtedly the world’s top military and economic power at this time. Yet as the Iran quagmire has ...
Solar vision?
28 Apr, 2026

Solar vision?

THE recent imposition of certain regulatory requirements for small-scale solar systems, followed by the reversal of...
Breaking malaria’s grip
28 Apr, 2026

Breaking malaria’s grip

FOR the first time in decades, defeating malaria in our lifetime is possible, according to WHO. Yet in Pakistan,...