Ghazi Fakir

Ghazi Fakir is the father of local Congress party MLA Saleh Mohammad from Jaisalmer city in Rajasthan. He is a resident of Bagoon Ka Gaon in Jaisalmer district ^[1] and a local Congressman and religious figure who has been masterminding the election of candidates in a western Rajasthan since 1985, when he bonded the local Muslims and Meghwals into an alliance.^[2]

Religious Representative

Gazi Fakir is the religious representative of Pir Pagara who is the religious head of the Hurs, which is Sunni Muslim . Syed Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi III is the current Pir Pagara, Pir Jo Goth in Sindh is native place of Pir Pagaras. Rashdi also became the head of Pakistan Muslim League (F) after the death of his father Syed Shah Mardan Shah-II.

Family

Ghazi Fakir's son Shaleh Mohammed is MLA from Pokhran assembly constituency from Congress Party, Second son Abdullah Fakir is Jilla Pramukh of Jaisalmer District Panchayat, Amardeen Fakir is State General Secretary of Rajasthan Youth Congress, younger sons Ameen Khan is studying in Delhi university and Peerane Khan are in family business. Ghazi Fakir's brother, Late Fateh Mohammed was also a Jilla Pramukh of Jaisalmer, he is survived by his son Ghazi Sikander

Allegations

Ghazi Fakir came into the news in July 2013 when a Superintendent of Police Jaisalmer Pankaj Chaudhary was transferred for reopening of the case file of notorious history sheeter Ghazi Fakir involved in cross-border smuggling and other anti-social activities on the India-Pakistan border since two decades. The charges against him range from running a cross border smuggling racket ^[1] to acting as an agent of Pakistan’s ISI.^[2]

The book also describes the clout of Gazi Fakir in politics and their role in releasing the spies caught by local police.

“In February 1984 the then Collector of Barmer district, CK Mathew had facilitated the arrest of one Mushtaq Ahmed of Burren-Ka-Tala under the National Securities Act. Though he claimed to be an Indian, he was carrying a Pakistani identity card. Subsequently it was found that he had undergone training in Lahore for espionage. When arrested Mushtaq was bold enough to assert that he could not be held for long. Sure enough, his words came true when he had to be released under pressure from top Congress (I) leaders in the region,” adds the book.

Older residents of Jaisalmer allege that Ghazi Fakir is an extremely influential leader in and around Jaisalmer, was engaged in smuggling and other unlawful activities along the India-Pakistan border. He is also known for his astute “election management skills.”^[3]

There was major public outrage when SP Pankaj Chaudhary was shunted out for reopening the 48-year-old history sheet of Ghazi Fakir. A history sheet against him was opened in the Kotwali police station in Jaisalmer in July 1965, before it went missing in 1984. It was reopened in 1990, and again closed in early May 2011.^[1][3]

References