Zardari visit: Dargah dispute comes to the fore

The rift within the Dargah committee that oversees administration of the Khawaja Sharif shrine came out in the open during Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to Ajmer.

The Dargah Dewan, religious head of the Ajmer Sharif who claims to be the direct descendant of the Khwaja Sahib, and his supporters boycotted the visit of Zardari.

As the district administration refused to allow Dargah Dewan Syedzainul Abedin Ali beyond certain point inside the shrine, he boycotted the 35-minute stay of Zardari and refused to attend to the visiting delegation inside the shrine.

Ali alleged the district administration was trying to restrict his valid entry under influence of the opposition group. The district administration said the decision not to allow the Dewan to accompany Zardari was taken keeping in mind the long-standing dispute between the Dewan and the Khadims.

“There is a dispute between the Dewan and the Khadims in Dargarh over the management of the shrine. To avoid any ugly scenes during the visit of the Pakistan President, it was suggested to allow him beyond the Nizam Gate,” district collector Manju Rajpal said.