It was a chilly day of December 9, 2017, when His Highness Prince Karim Agha Khan, the 49th Imam of Ismaili Muslims visited Chitral after a gap of 14 years. During his short visit he addressed an unprecedentedly large gathering of his devout followers at Booni and Garam Chashma and gave religious sermon termed as “Farman” by his followers. The focus of his sermon as usual remained on strict adherence to the fundamentals of Islam, inter-faith harmony, Islamic brotherhood, peaceful coexistence, religious tolerance, mutual cooperation, acquisition and spread of knowledge, promotion of enlightenment, discouragement of obscurantism and avoidance of drugs.
It was extremely heartening and worth seeing to witness the positive gesture displayed by the Sunni community on this occasion which was unprecedented in the history of Chitral. It will certainly augur well for the future of both the communities and will help cement the bond of brotherhood and cohesion which is the need of the hour.
It may not be hyperbolic to say that the spirit of cooperation and accommodation evinced by the Sunni brethren on this auspicious occasion (which, unfortunately, is a rare phenomenon nowadays in our society), presents a practical demonstration of Islamic brotherhood.
Lastly, the standard of discipline displayed by the followers of His Highness on this solemn occasion speaks volumes about their love and reverence for their Imam, and certainly worth emulating.
Col(R) Ikram Ullah Khan
Islamabad.
