Khari Sharif

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Khari Sharif is a a sub-district of Mirpur District, Azad Kashmir. It is located 8km from Mirpur city and is known for housing the Shrine of Sufi Saints known as Baba Pir-e-Shah Ghazi (Damrian Wali Sarkar). The place acts as a great seat of learning for students of Islam. Darvishs (disciples) of the Saint can be seen today wandering not just in Pakistani Kashmir but throughout Pakistan. Also at Khari Sharif is the Shrine of the late Mian Muhammad Bakhsh who wrote the famous tale Sayful Mulūk. This tells of a Prince who fell in love with a fairy called Badi Jamal who he saw in a dream. The story chronicles his travels in search of the fairy and the spiritual lessons he learns on the way. Sayful Muluk is read throughout Azad Kashmir and Pakistan, and even has its own council. This council is headed by the well known Choudhry Karamat Khari, from the village of Pindi SabarWaal, about a kilometer from the famous shrines.

The District's current Political leader is Choudhry Rukhsar, who has been the MLA of the area since 2006, and is now currently a Minister for the area as well. He lives in a small village called Chabrian Gujjran, which is located in the heart of the Khari Sharif District.

Also close to Khari Sharif is a local trading town called Jatlaan which is situated 3 miles from Khari Sharif and this place is well known for it riches and deals. There is also a religious shrine called Peer-moliya which is located not far from this town, this shrine is dedicated to Islam and it is told that who so ever goes to this shrine with true heart and asks for something their desires will be fulfilled.

Another famous shrine is the one in the village of Sammaal, also known as Sammaal Sharif. Many people visit this shrine in the hope of finding spiritual guidance in troubled times. However, this area is also very famous for its participation in black magic, where anti-Islamic rituals are held to aid people in their greed, wealth, and jealousy.[citation needed]