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Punjab Shahi Imam passes away at 63 in Ludhiana
The Shahi Imam had been suffering from renal failure and liver infection; he had returned to Ludhiana a week ago after undergoing liver surgery at a hospital in Chennai
Punjab Shahi Imam Maulana Habib Ur Rehman Saani Ludhianvi passed away at the age of 63 after a prolonged illness at Christian Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana on Thursday night.
The Shahi Imam had been suffering from renal failure and liver infection. He had returned to Ludhiana a week ago after undergoing liver surgery at a hospital in Chennai. He was hospitalised after his condition deteriorated on Thursday, and he passed away around midnight, said Mustkeem, a spokesperson of the Jama Masjid.
He was buried at the Jama Masjid in Field Gunj, near the grave of his father. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter, who is settled in the United States. He was the nephew of 92-year-old Pakistani politician Muhammad Hamza, who passed away last week.
Ludhianvi had vociferously spoken against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and even organised a marathon demonstration at the Jalandhar Bypass Chowk to oppose the move.
Condolences pour in
People from all walks of life condoled Ludhianvi’s death. In a condolence message, Captain Amarinder Singh described the Shahi Imam as a spiritual personality, who always propagated the message of love, peace and harmony.
“Shahi Imam’s immense contribution in cementing the bonds of brotherhood, amity and bonhomie amongst mankind would always be remembered by one and all across the state. A void has been created in the religious fraternity, especially among the Muslim community, which is difficult to fill,” the chief minister said
Expressing grief over Ludhianvi’s death, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the Shahi Imam had helped maintain “harmony and brotherhood in Punjab. May God bless his soul and grant strength to his family and followers to bear the loss.”
