The dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisthi at Ajmer always had a special place in the mind of Benazir Bhutto, according to the khadims (caretakers), who cherish fond memories of its “peace-loving” faithful. “Even during her last visit here, she was hoping for a better India-Pakistan relationship and restoration of normal ties between the two countries,” remembers Syed Salman Chisthi, a khadim, who belongs to the family that looks after the dargah. Her last visit to the dargah was on December 14, 2003. “She told us that violence cannot solve any problem in the world and peace is the way forward,” Chisthi said.

Earlier, Bhutto had visited the dargah in 1999 and then in 2001. The slain Pakistan leader, during her last visit, offered a velvet chhadar and read fatihah (prayer) at the tomb of the Sufi saint.

Those who associate with the dargah remember it was Iqbal Kaptan Chisthi, who claims to be Bhutto’s ancestral khadim, who performed the ritual. The ritual, dastarbandi — which is a prayer ritual — involves putting a dupatta on her head and presenting tabarruk (prasad). “Despite being a VIP, she took off time to the Anjuman’s office and signed the visitor’s book,” Chisthi says.

The dargah has among its Pakistan guests Wasim Akram and Javed Miandad, but Bhutto was certainly the most high-profile one.