RABWA, Nov 25: Pakistan’s only Nobel laureate and internationally renowned scientist Dr Abdus Salam who had died early on Thursday morning in UK was laid to rest in “Bahisti Maqbara” (graveyard) here on Monday morning.

The Amir of the Jamaat-i-Ahmadiya, Pakistan, Sahibzada Mirza Mansoor Ahmad, led the funeral prayers of late Dr Salam at Lajna (women’s wing of Jamaat-i-Ahmadiya) ground here which was attended by about 30,000 people of Rabwah and many others from across the country. Over 5,000 Lajna members were also present outside the ground where the funeral prayer was held.

The people of Rabwah said it was the second biggest funeral procession after that of former foreign minister Sir Zafarullah Khan.

Earlier, the body of Dr Salam was placed at Darul Ziafat where over 13,000 men and women had the last glimpse of the noted scientist.

At 10:05 am the body of the Dr Salam was brought in the Lajna ground in a motorcade of ambulances from Darul Ziafat and after prayer the funeral procession marched towards Bahishti Maqbara where he was laid to rest. The funeral procession marched in a very well-organised and well-disciplined way with some 1500 volunteers of the Jamaat guiding the procession and trying to keep it organised and disciplined.

There was, however, no government functionary or police official at the funeral.

Rabwah is a city located between two hillocks with a population of 50,000 mostly members of Jamaat-i-Ahmadiya.

The city was planned by Jamaat-i-Ahmadiya, after getting the lease of the site from the provincial government immediately after partition in 1947.

Dr Salam’s was buried adjacent to the grave of his parents according to his will.