Sindh CM wants more constables, less encroachments around shrines

Team goes to Data Darbar in Lahore to observe security plans

KARACHI: To ensure security at shrines across the province, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah decided to recruit more constables and remove encroachments outside shrines.

During a meeting at CM House on Tuesday, Shah was told that a security team visited Data Darbar shrine in Lahore to observe its security arrangements and formulate Sindh’s plans accordingly.

After the 2010 blast at Data Darbar shrine in Lahore, a security audit was carried out and the shrines were categorised into A, B, C, with ‘A’ being the most sensitive ones.



The Punjab government placed 15 shrines in ‘A’ category and all encroachments around these shrines were removed, the chief minister was told.

The officials listed 14 most-sensitive shrines in Sindh, including Abdullah Shah Ghazi, Manghopir Baba, Dargah Hazrat Sakhi Abdul Wahab Shah Jilani in Hyderabad, Dargah Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Dargah Saeedi Moosani, Dargah Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Abdullah Shah Ashabi, Shah Aaqeeq, Sachal Sarmast, Gaji Shah in Dadu, Dargah-e-Aalia Hussainabad in Shahadadkot, Shah Inayat, Udero Lal and Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Shah decided that all these 14 shrines must be provided strict security.

He constituted a committee comprising the Special Branch (Convener) AIG, the Rapid Response Force DIG, the Auqaf chief administrator, the Hyderabad Division Superintendent Engineer and relevant local officers.



This committee will visit each and every Dargah particularly, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Abdullah Shah Ghazi, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Shah Aqeeq and Manghopir Baba to conduct their security audit.

Then after, it will grade them and propose specific security plans, additional construction, removal of encroachments and better methods for searching visitors.

The chief minister directed the chief secretary to issue necessary instruction for all the shrines to move away beggars from their vicinity. They are also a security threat, he observed.

Shah also told the Sindh IG to appoint local male and female constables, give them special training on searching visitors, and then deploy them at their local shrine.

Shrines are most important in terms of inter-faith unity, said Shah, adding that people of different religions, sects and beliefs gather there by setting aside their respective beliefs and demonstrate a unique unity. “I want them completely secure and safe,” he stressed.



He also ordered the construction or raise in compound walls where required and installation of closed-circuit television cameras at important shrines, along with a well-equipped command and control room for monitoring.

The chief minister directed the home department to notify the committee and their terms of reference so they start work from Thursday.

The meeting was attended by transport and Zakat minister Nasir Shah, chief secretary Rizwan Memon, Sindh IG Allah Dino Khowaja, Counter-Terrorism Department AIG Sanaullah Abbasi, home secretary Kazi Shahid Parvez, works secretary Aijaz Memon, Zakat and Auqaf secretary Riaz Hussain Soomro, and others.