Chitral`s last ruler passes away

His Highness Saif ul Mulk Nasir, the last ruler of Chitral state, died at hospital of the federal capital on Tuesday morning, following a sudden and massive cardiac arrest. He was 61.

The last ruler of Katoor dynasty (1570-1969) of the former state was under treatment for heart ailment and had undergone bypass operation several years ago.

The last ruler of Chitral had married the daughter of Nawab of Amb state. Two sons, Shahzada Fateh ul-Mulk Ali Nasir and Shahzada Hammad ul-Mulk Nasir and two married daughters survive former Mehtar Chitral.

HH Saif ul Mulk was born in 1950. He succeeded his father Saifur Rahman, who died in a plane crash in 1954. As he was only four years of age at the time, a regency council ran the affairs of the state.

Shahzada Nasir was sent to Atchison College Lahore for education. He had hardly completed his education when the then chief martial law administrator Gen Yahya Khan merged the state of Chitral into Pakistan.

Locals of Chitral said that he was a ruler, who did not enjoy power and authority even for a single day. He was a very nice soul as a person and possessed all the good qualities of a royal prodigy. He was a gentle, friendly and harmless human being and possessed noble and clear views about different matters. He donated hundreds of acres of his private land to homeless people of Chitral.

“He was a kind hearted and pious person who did not like pomp and show and loved simplicity and privacy,” said Dr Inayatullah Faizi, a local intellectual.

After the annexation of the Chitral state, he was inducted into Foreign Service of Pakistan. He served on various diplomatic posts and retired in 1989 as consul general of Pakistan in Hong Kong.

After retirement, he confined himself to his residence in Islamabad and the fort of Chitral where he used to come in the summer season. He always distanced himself from the public and never indulged in politics.

His namaz janaza is scheduled to be held on Wednesday 19 October at 11 am at the Shahi fort baagh and he will be laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard in the northern corner of Chitral Fort.

Posted by Sonia Bashir on Oct 19 2011. Filed under Latest News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry