KARACHI: The passing away of Pir Pagara, spiritual leader of the Hur Jamaat, in London on Tuesday night has set off speculation among political circles as to which of his four sons Pir Syed Sibghatullah Shah, Pir Syed Gohar Ali Shah, Pir Syed Sadruddin Shah alias Yunus Sain and Pir Syed Hizbullah Shah Rashdi will succeed him.
There is no tradition of nominating a son as successor by the Pir himself in Hur Jamaat, sources close to the Kingri House, which is the official residence in Karachi of their spiritual guide, told Dawn.
The selection of the successor to the seat, as per practice, lies with Khalifas (elders of the Jamaat) who were nominated by the Pir.
There are 16 Khalifas of the Jamaat, whose strength is stated to be over eight million. At present the chief Khalifa is Quadir Bakhsh Mangrio, who lives in Pir Jo Goth and looks after the Dargah Sharif of Pir Pagara.
Fifteen of the Khalifas live in Pakistan while one in India.
The Pir's disciples are concentrated in India's Rajasthan state, Sindh's Nara belt, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Umarkot and Ghotki districts.
Jam Madad Ali, who is one of the closest disciples of Pir Pagara, told Dawn that the Khalifas were holding their meetings to make arrangements for burial of Pir Pagara in the vicinity of Dargah Sharif of his grandfather, Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi.
It is likely that they will take a decision about the successor before the last rites.
Asked if he had any idea which son was likely to be nominated as heir to the spiritual seat, Jam Madad Ali said: 'I have no idea.
Although in Sindh there is a practice of selecting the eld-est son, all depends on Khalifas who give weightage to aspects of the Shariat, among other yardsticks.
According to another source, Pir Syed Sadruddin Shah Rashdi was the favourite. Pir Pagara, according to the source, used to visit the shrine of one of his revered elders, Hazrat Syed Sadruddin Shah, in Lakyari Sharif, Dadu district.
On one of his visits, Pir Pagara had a dream that he would have another son who would follow in his footsteps and disseminate the spiritual message of his elders.
The same year a son was born. He was named after Hazrat Syed Pir Sadruddin Shah. He is also known as Yunus Sain.
Pir Syed Sadruddin Shah was very close to his father and, besides Khalifas, Pir Pagara used to consult him on matters related to the Pakistan Muslim League -E Another indication in his favour was that he was made chief of the PML-F Sindh chapter by Pir Pagara, a source said. 'But nothing can be said with finality as it is the prerogative of Khalifas. They are likely to take a decision within 24 hours,' the source added.
The body of Pir Pagara is likely to arrive in Karachi at 6.30 on Thursday morning. The body will be flown straight from the airport to Sukkur by a C-130 and from there to Pir Jo Goth by a helicopter.
Pir Pagara will be laid to rest in the vicinity of the shrine of his grandfather, Hazrat Syed Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi.
According to APP, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has announced a threeday mourning in the province on the demise of Pir Pagara.
In a statement issued from the Chief Minister's House, Thursday will be a public holiday in Sindh.