JEDDAH, 25 December 2006 — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s elder brother, Ghulam Qadir Bhatt, who died Thursday following a massive heart attack, was buried in Makkah’s Sarai graveyard on Saturday.
Azad rushed to Makkah on Friday night to arrange and oversee the last rites for his brother. After performing Umrah and receiving condolences from members of the Indian community in the Kingdom, he left for New Delhi late Saturday night. The funeral prayers were said in the Holy Haram after Dhuhr.
“It was everybody’s wish that Azad Sahib’s brother be buried in the Jannatul Muaala graveyard. But that is no longer open to people of other nationalities. The graveyard in the Sarai area of Makkah has been specifically reserved for pilgrims who die during the course of the pilgrimage,” said a close associate of the Azad family.
Azad was calm and composed and comforted those around him. He said his brother had been diagnosed with a cardiac condition some time back, but was reluctant to resort to a surgical procedure to correct it.
Bhatt left his Gujjar Nagar residence in Jammu for Haj on Dec. 3. Sixty-six years of age, he was a retired district social welfare officer. “He was in good spirits hours before his death,” said a doctor and friend, Manzoor Wani.
