LAHORE: (Tuesday, January 10, 2012): Punjab University Department of Arabic in collaboration with Provincial Ministry of Religious Affairs and Auqaf, Punjab organized two-day Syed Hajver Tasawwaf Seminar, in connection with 968th annual Urs of Hazrat Data Gunj Bukhsh. President Azad Jammu & Kashmir Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan presided over the inaugural session, held was held here in the Al-Raazi Hall of Centre for Undergraduate Studies, New Campus.

Provincial Minister of Religious Affairs and Auqaf Haji Ehsan-ud-Din Qureshi was the chief guest while Provincial Mines Minister Ch Abdul Ghafoor, PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, Chairman Arabic Department Dr Khalid Dad Malik, Secretary Religious Affairs and Auqaf Muzaffar Mahmood, Director General Dr Tahir Raza Bukhari, faculty members and a large number of students were also present on the occasion. President PU Hajveri Chair Dr Zahoor Ahmad Azhar read his paper.

Addressing the ceremony, Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan said the charismatic personality of Hazrat Data Gunj Buksh was an example for our guidance and even people of other religions also respected him. He said the spread of Islam in Hindustan was due to Sufis’ teachings. He said Pakistan had been facing crises because of being atomic power but enemies could never cause harm to it due to presence of such pious personalities of Sufis. He said Kashmiris had not only been protecting the ideological boundaries of Pakistan but would also sacrifice their lives for Pakistan. He said we should know very well about coming time and make preparations for sovereignty of our homeland. He said the map of Pakistan might be something else if such seminars had been conducted regularly. He paid rich tributes to PU administration for holding the seminar for creating awareness among students about the life and teachings of Hazrat Data Gunj Bukhsh.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran said the Message conveyed by Allah Almighty was for the welfare of mankind. He said after Prophets, Sufis got the responsibility to get people out of darkness through their deeds and teachings. He said the personality of Hazrat Data Gunj Buksh was of auspiciousness. The Vice-Chancellor said Sufis had played leading role to make crores of people of subcontinent Muslims. Dr Mujahid Kamran stressed the need for holding such seminars on large scales to give awareness to students about the lives and teachings of Sufis.

Ch Abdul Ghafoor, in his address, said Allah had a system which is real and true. “We were away from the true essence of Islam which is reason of our deterioration and worries. We should follow the teachings of Sufis to know right and wrong. We should follow the teachings of Hazrat Data Gunj Bukhsh, which were clear and crucial, for advancements.” he added. He said we were being considered as terrorists and extremists and implementing the teachings of Islam, Shariyat and Sufism to denounce the propaganda was need of the hour. He said we should develop love with Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) and follow the teachings for success. He urged the need to organize such seminars in academic institutes regularly to promote the teachings of Sufis. He said Pakistan was incomplete without Kashmir and the people on both sides breathe together.

Ehsan-ud-Din Qureshi said the purpose of lives of Sufis was promotion of teachings Almighty Allah and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He said Hazrat Data Gunj Bukhsh preached Oneness in the subcontinent and showed the Light to ignorant people. The teachings of Hazrat Data Gunj Buksh were beneficial for us. The study of book “Kashf-ul-Mahjoob” made a difference in right and wrong. The teachings of Sufis stressed promotion of love. He said we should forget our mutual fights for advancement. Muzaffar Mahmood said there was dire need to follow the self-accountability programme, which the Sufis presented. We should follow the example of tolerance and love set by Sufis, through their Sufism.

Dr Tahir Raza Bukhari thanked Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran for his keen interest in organizing the seminar. He said the Hajveri Chair, setup at PU, was very active and the services of Dr Zahoor Ahmad Azhar were appreciable. He said there was urgent need to promote the teachings of Sufis to get the society rid of violence. Sajjada Nasheen/Khadim Dargah Khawaja Moeen-ud-Din Chishti Ajmer Sharif, India Pir Sarwar Chishti chaired the second session of the seminar while Principal Oriental College presented welcome address while Dr Muhammad Ishaq Qureshi, Dr Muhammad Sharif, Dr Muhammad Tufail, Raja Rasheed Mahmood, Dr Muhammad Sultan Shah, Raghab Hussain Naeemi, Dr Sufi Ahmad Dabagh and Dr Muhammad Humayun Shams read their papers.