![\"bari](\"https:\/\/sadaesach.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/bari-imam-1024x576.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAccording to an Islamabad administration official, the decision followed persistent claims by different individuals and families in Mouza Noorpur Shahan\u2014widely associated with Bari Imam\u2014who present themselves as the rightful custodians or spiritual successors of Hazrat Bari Imam Sarkar (RA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The official said that the administration has not recognised any such individual as the Gaddi Nashin or Sajjada Nashin of the shrine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The development has effectively challenged a long-running dispute in which multiple individuals have reportedly claimed authority over the spiritual seat associated with one of the most revered saints of the Potohar region.
Questions over genealogical and spiritual claims<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The administration has also raised questions over the credentials of some of the claimants.
According to the official position, certain individuals making such claims do not have an established genealogical relationship with Hazrat Bari Imam Sarkar (RA), while no officially recognised document establishing their succession to the spiritual seat has been presented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hazrat Bari Imam Sarkar (RA) is traditionally regarded as a descendant of Imam Musa al-Kazim (AS), the seventh Imam. His ancestral association is linked to Karsal, where members of his family continue to reside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The administration’s position has therefore brought renewed attention to the distinction between being a descendant, devotee, servant or historical associate of a saint and being officially recognised as the custodian or successor of his spiritual seat.
Devotees, servants and successors<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources familiar with the history of Noorpur Shahan say that several families settled in the area have longstanding associations with Hazrat Bari Imam Sarkar (RA). Some are believed to have descended from devotees, servants and people historically associated with the saint.
However, the administration maintains that such an association, by itself, does not establish a person’s right to claim the title of Gaddi Nashin or Sajjada Nashin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The issue becomes particularly contentious where individuals claim to represent the shrine or its spiritual authority without official recognition.
Claimants who arrived generations later<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the administration, the ancestry of some claimants can reportedly be traced to people who settled in Noorpur Shahan years after the passing of Hazrat Bari Imam Sarkar (RA)\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite this historical timeline, their descendants are now among those making claims to the spiritual seat associated with the saint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These competing claims have, according to sources, sometimes created confusion among pilgrims, with different individuals allegedly presenting themselves as the authentic Gaddi Nashin or Sajjada Nashin.
Administration moves to end confusion<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The installation of official information boards appears to be an attempt by the Islamabad administration to draw a clear line between the shrine’s government-administered affairs and private claims of spiritual succession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The notices are intended to inform visitors that the shrine is administered through the relevant government authorities and that no individual has been officially recognised by the government as the Gaddi Nashin or Sajjada Nashin of Hazrat Bari Imam Sarkar (RA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The administration’s position could have far-reaching implications for the individuals and families who have historically claimed spiritual authority associated with the shrine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For devotees, however, the message is straightforward: no claimant can present himself as the officially recognised Gaddi Nashin or Sajjada Nashin of Bari Imam Sarkar (RA) on the basis of government recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The controversy also raises broader questions about the historical basis of competing claims, the distinction between spiritual lineage and shrine administration, and who\u2014if anyone\u2014has the legitimate authority to claim succession to the spiritual legacy of Hazrat Bari Imam Sarkar (RA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sada-e-Sach will continue to investigate the historical records, genealogies and official documents relating to the competing claims surrounding the shrine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD (Investigative Report): In a significant development concerning the centuries-old shrine of Hazrat Syed Abdul Latif Kazmi, popularly known as Bari Imam Sarkar (RA), the Islamabad administration has rejected claims by individuals and families seeking recognition as the saint’s Gaddi Nashin or Sajjada Nashin. The administration has made it categorically clear that no individual has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2021,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20,11,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive","category-latest","category-pakistan"],"yoast_head":"\n