Mian Mir’s urs: Security fears keep attendance low

The 387th annual urs of Hazrat Mian Mir concluded late on Saturday night with a low turnout.


Shahram Haq February 13, 2011

LAHORE: The 387th annual urs of Hazrat Mian Mir concluded late on Saturday night with a low turnout, as recent bombings of Sufi tombs and shrines kept many from visiting the darbar.

“We were expecting a much higher turnout,” Mian Azeem, a member of the darbar committee, told The Express Tribune. “A very low number visited this year. The recent blast at Hazrat Ali Hajveri’s urs scared people and that is why I think they didn’t come.”

No politician visited the shrine of Hazrat Mian Mir on the second or the last day of the urs. The streets leading to the shrine were not decorated and few traditional stalls were set up. There were no queues of visitors, even at the final moments of the urs, though there were heavy police contingents stationed at various points around the shrine.

Visitors had to cross five security checkpoints before entering the shrine. The beggars and malangs who lined the road leading to the main entrance at the start of the shrine were cleared away by the police.

Visitor Usman Ali said that he visited the Darbar regularly, especially during the urs each year. “This year I am leaving early. Anything could happen here,” he said. “The usual enthusiasm and feel of the urs is different.”

Low visitor numbers also meant leaner profits from the food and toy stalls. “There are so few pilgrims,” said Irfan Ahmed, gesturing at the few people milling around the stalls.

He added that because of inflation, customers were also spending less money. “If a man spends Rs100, for me it is the same as him spending Rs50 a few years ago,” he said.

Ahmed also complained that police had not allowed vendors to set up stalls close to the shrine like in previous years, again for security reasons.

The urs was to conclude late night on Saturday with special prayers for Pakistan and the Muslim Ummah. Langar (free food) was distributed amongst the devotees at a cost of Rs400,000 to the administration. Special naat sessions were held the whole day but no renowned naat khwan participated. Police had set up an information counter for visitors.

Published in The Express Tribune February 13th, 2011.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ