LARKANA: Spiritual leader of Naqshbandi order Ghulam Hussain Shah, known among his followers and disciples as ‘Hussain Shah Qambar Waro’, was laid to rest in Hussainabad locality of Qambar town on Friday amid touching and moving scenes.

He died on Thursday during treatment of respiratory problems in a private hospital in Karachi on Thursday. He was 87.

His son Attaullah Shah Bukhari led the Nimaz-i-Janaza. Tho­­u­sands of his followers coming from all parts of the country attended the funeral.

The Qambar-Shahd­akdot deputy commissioner had declared Friday a local holiday for schools.

Qambar town remained shut in mourning.

Leading political figures, including slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto, inc­u­mbent Foreign Mini­ster Bilawal Bhutto-Zard­ari, former PM Zafarullah Jamali, PPP-Shaheed Bhu­tto leader Ghinwa Bhutto and others had been visiting him to seek spiritual blessings and support of his followers in elections as he wielded strong influence among people. His disciples commonly called as ‘faqeers’ usually wear white clothes.

The spiritual leader was born in the village of Drib Chandio in Mirokhan talu­ka of Qambar-Shahd­adkot district.

Ghulam Muhammed Chandio and Ali Gohar Mastoi were his teachers in the primary school of Drib Mehar Shah while he received religious education from his father and Maulvi Khush Muhammed Tunio of Mirokhan, and spiritual education from Hamadullah Halejvi. Pir Muhammeed Abdul Ghaffar aka Pir Mitha of Rehmatpur mohalla, Larkana, was his ‘murshid’.

During 1973 floods in Sindh, he migrated from Drib Chandio and settled in Surhiya mohalla opposite the railway station in Qambar town where he later established a madressah for religious education and congregations.

One of his sons, Shafique Shah, had died a few years ago near Brohi village of Jacobabad district when Hussain Shah’s caravan was attacked.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2023