PESHAWAR: Noted research scholar and an authority on Sufism Prof Pervez Khan Mahjoor Kheshgi died at his residence in Kheshgi Bala on late Saturday night. He was 68.

He was laid to rest on Sunday in the graveyard located close to his home. A large number of literati, his former students, University of Peshawar faculty members and notables of the area attended his humeral prayer. He left behind a widow, two sons and a daughter to mourn his death.

Pashto literary associations and writers have expressed deep sorrow over the sad demise of the great Sufi scholar and termed it an irreparable loss to Pashto language and literature.

Prof Mahjoor was a poet, writer, research scholar and a Sufi mendicant and always believed in the piety of spiritualism and advocated the concept of personal purification through his search writings and practical approach.

He was the pioneer of Sufi research in Pashto literature because most scholars found the topic beyond their mental journey but he through his extensive study resolved numerous issues in the Pashto classical texts and paved way for the budding literati.

Prof Mahjoor was admitted to a Peshawar hospital a month ago where he received treatment for his multiple health complications. He was sent home with prescription of medicines but according to family sources, his condition suddenly deteriorated on late Saturday night and he breathed his last.

He authored, compiled and edited more than a dozen books both in Pashto and Urdu. He was considered an authority on Sufi literature in Pashto. He set up a literary organisation ‘Pashto Adabi Tolana Kheshgi’ way back in 1969. He started his career as primary schoolteacher in his village and ended up as a senior university faculty member. He remained involved in research even after getting retirement in 2011.

Prof Mahjoor privately qualified masters in Pashto and Urdu literature from University of Peshawar. He was appointed junior research officer at Pashto Academy and worked there for 14 years, then switched over to Pashto department and got superannuation from it but never gave up research work despite his ailing health.

Prof Mahjoor was widely acclaimed by literary circles in Balochistan, Afghanistan, India and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for his contribution to Sufi literature. He profusely contributed to Sufis thought and conducted his doctorate thesis on Mullah Arazni Kheshgi (1523-1619), a leading classical Pashto Sufi poet.

He also wrote for Children and had penned down a book in Urdu ‘Gharelu Sanatein’ and supervised around 20 PhD scholars during his tenure as a teacher at Pashto department.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2020