Pir Sahib of Manki Sharif, as was recognized by far and wide in Pakistan, , Was from North-West Frontier Province. Very little is known of him by most of us Indelible mark in the history of Kashmir but for wrong reasons, left by him can not be ignored, Mention of his role is a dire necessity to do justice with the events pertaining to the partition days of the Jammu and Kashmir State .
History, to me, is always at the mercy of the writer or who asks for to write. And our historians played to the galley , thus under played rather ignored it altogether, his part Acts of his personified, death , wanton destruction, rape , horrifying innumerable suffering caused on innocents hapless masses are hard not to note off, even at this juncture to set record straight His advent with much excitement towards state from Muzzarabad sector lasted here mere for a few days much less than a fortnight, But resulted in to an shocking disgraceful ignominious hasty retreat .
Which he could not reconcile as had not in his wildest dream thought of tasting a failure and carried till his untimely tragic death at the prime of his age in a road accident 1n 1960.
Born in 1923 at Manki Sharif in a renowned family of Pir Aminul Hasanat Political bug bite him at a very early age time,. conscious of the active role in promoting the Pakistan Movement by Ulema and Mashaikh of the subcontinent., He thought best way to be at center stage be politically active than to follow religious studiesJinnah a Barrister of repute , professing to be the believer in law of justice and democratic values and its procedures But when it came to settle score with his adversaries once friends .
Behaved like a rustic rancorous restoring to fanning religious sentiment of which he had not even to a basic knowledge nor he followed the tenets of the faith which he pleaded, Rash and dash with ailing health pushed him to finish the matter in his life Went in to hooliganism calling for direct action, Results of it made him wiser and clear to the methodology to be adopted to realize his long cherished goal to make his adversaries eat humble pie .
He roped in Pir Sahib of Manki Sharif, to breach the bastion of Khan Abdul Gaffer khan , Red Gandhi got his services to play a pivotal role in securing thumping success for the Muslim League in the Referendum held in NWFP in 1947, which decided the accession of the NWFP to Pakistan.
Riding on the crest of this victory at a very young age of 24 ,over-zealousness in him to please his new found mentor in Jinnah, whom he promised to bring his much cherished Kashmir to put in his pocket, met him his nemesis , and carried the ignominy of his defeat which he could not reconcile, till his death.
Pir sb gave a war cry of jehad and pronounced it is a call of Allah to liberate Kashmir and propagate and furtherance of the Islam there An aura of spiritual powers he yielded were created by his chosen to create fear and admiration one of the incident among many worth mention is On a rainy cold winter night ,Pir of Manki Sharif (r.a) suddenly arrived Alipur Sayyidan with a large body of armed followers to visit Hazrat Sayyid Jama'at Ali Shah (r.a).When Pir Sahib entered Bab e Rahmat , Hazrat Sahib(Hazrat Sayyid Jama'at Ali Shah (r.a).) asked ,Who is there? "I am faqir of Manki",the answer came.
Hazrat Sahib got up and greeted Pir sahib and commented "King has arrived at faqir's home,why did you not inform me?" Duty of younger one is to come to pay respect without informing ".Pir Sahib responded. Call Akhtar ( Sayyid Akhtar Hussain Shah (r.a),grandson and author of Sirat Amir e Millat) to make arrangements for dinner. "I do not eat at night and this is my routine for past 40 years." Pir Sahib explained and "it is my routine for the past 100 years that I don't let a guest sleep without food."
Hazrat Amir e Millat (r.a) responded.Everyone ate the dinner followed by green tea .On 4th day Hazrat asked "Why did you take trouble to visit me? ", "When I received your letter, I decided to come in person to listen and obey your orders."Pir of Manki Sharif answered. Hazrat Sahib advised " Now is the time to serve Din and Muslim nation.Mr.Jinnah Sahib is doing our work and I want you to help him.
Pir Sahib invited Jinnah Sahib to Manki Sharif and organized a great conference. Hazrat Amir e Millat could not attend because of ill health and instead sent his eldest son Siraj e al-Millat Sayyid Muhammad Hussain Shah (r,a) and gave him a gold medal.300 rupees in a pouch and other gifts for Quid e Azam (r.a). Pir Sahib greeted him with respect and requested that he chair the conference. When Siraj al-Millat gave the gold medal to Jinnah on behalf of Amir e Millat (r.a),he became very happy, stood up and said "now I am successful, please put this gold medal around my neck."
His
marched in ruthlessly with big unorganized Tribes called Kablees riding
on the crust of religions fervor under command of regular Pakistan army both in
service and ex service, deserters of Maharaja Army with tacit support of
British army officers at the helm of affairs in both the armies made his
entry via Muzzafarabad,
He promised in return Jennat, Hoours , Saabaas and what not to the Kabalis At the same time employing every methods in the book of terror in the name of religion, loot, rape plunder, massacre, carting young girls to embrace death by jumping in wells and rivers, filled to brim, carting in hundreds of lorries on whom they can lay hand alive to be sold in cities of Pakistan and as far as north frontiers , which is well witnessed and narrected. This was all carried in the name of furtherance Islam.
He was eager and at e same time impatient to take credit of having grabbed Kashmir sheer by his efforts to pass on as a gift to Jinnah who was impatiently was waiting for it,
At Baramulla,disorderly savage Kabalis, did not waited for Jaanat to taste Hoourees but wasted much precious time in baser pleasures. In the process whole white world though supporters a were aghast by the acts of rape,killing nuns and others.
He stared getting nightmares, Indian Army had landed and advancing. It is said he one morning spread RAAMAAL, prediction cloth which Moulaahaas often carry just to predict course of advance found utter to his disappointment Kashmir is lost forever.
And was forced to make a hasty unannounced retreat in disgust ever to be seen even near the boundary of Azad Kashmir/POK.
There after we had 1965,1971,mercenary activist proxy war,for about+22 years now in between Kargil war, boundaries couldn't be altered .
But commoner suffered for no fault of ours.

Bushan Parimoo
(The writer is a Jammu based environmentalist and a regular contributor to this Website .)
(Feedback at: blparimoo@gmail.com)