Daily Times

Javed Afridi, a well-known Pakistani businessman and philanthropist, has said that he will pay the expenses for the elderly Pakistan shepherd who went viral after wandering around Masjid e Nabwi in a basic yet eye-catching outfit.

Abdul Qadir Bakhsh, 82, of Hub Balochistan, captured the attention of millions when a video of him walking in the courtyard of the Holy Prophet’s mosque went viral, prompting a statement from an adviser to Saudi Crown Prince Turki Alalshikh.

Amid the buzz, Javed Afridi, in a tweet, said “Wonderful & will be glad if he accepts our offer to sponsor him for his Hajj Travels”.

Bakhsh, a shepherd from the country’s mineral-rich region, returned home last week after completing a trek he had planned for more than a decade. He comes from a low-income family and does not even own a cellphone, so he did not watch his video, which has received millions of views.

The frail man, who walks with a cane, told an international news site that his fears have evaporated. He recalled his long-held desire to see Islam’s holiest location, which had finally been accomplished.

Bakhsh said he was on the seventh sky when he first saw Mecca, saying all his prayers were answered when he made it to the Holy Kaaba.