ISLAMABAD (APP) – President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday conferred the civil award of Nishan-i-Pakistan on Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, in recognition of his services for Pakistan in the field of spiritual guidance and social services.
The award was conferred in a special ceremony held at the Presidency and was attended by federal cabinet members as well as representatives of the Bohra community.
According to the citation read out before the conferment of the award, Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin is the 53rd Dai-e-Mutlaq whose followers are spread across all continents with a large number of them being Pakistani citizens.
The Bohra community head has a special regard for Pakistan and is an advocate of peace, harmony and goodwill.
Recounting his services in the education sector, it was told that he had contributed to the building of the School of Law at the University of Karachi and launched a university project. Multiple healthcare institutions are operating in the name of the Bohra community head providing affordable healthcare to marginalised segments of society.
Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin has repeatedly emphasised the importance of conserving and protecting the environment. In the past few years alone, over 100,000 trees have been planted by his followers in different parts of Pakistan.
He also launched a global initiative named ‘Project Rise’ encompassing a range of areas, including healthcare, nutrition, sanitation and hygiene, environmental responsibility and conservation, as well as education.
Saifuddin urged his followers to contribute actively to Pakistan’s socio-economic progress and explore business opportunities in the country besides developing an extensive network of schemes offering interest-free loans.