Shah Rukne Alam urs: Devotees find little to celebrate

Attendance at the urs is at an all time low following blasts at Sakhi Sarwar.

MULTAN:

The 697th urs celebrations of sufi saint Hazrat Shah Rukn Alam started on Saturday and will last for three days. Recent suicide blasts in a shrine in Dera Ghazi Khan have meant that attendance at the urs has been at an all time low. According to devotees less than 20% of last year’s pilgrims have shown up for the urs this year, despite enhanced security.

“Security has been heightened at all shrines and rangers have been deployed in the city,” said a caretaker of the shrine Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Qureshi washed the shrine with rose water and floral wreaths were laid at the grave of the saint. Pilgrims from across the country including Sindh have reached the shrine but devotees expressed their concern over the security situation.

Following the Sakhi Sarwar darbar bombing incident tight security measures have been taken for the urs.  Over 1,600 police officials have been deployed at the shrine and rangers are standing guard across the city. Visitors are being thoroughly searched with the help of walk-through gates and metal detectors. “It is an odd experience attending an urs amid such security but we are all scared. It isn’t the same,” said Lal Qadri, a devotee from Rawalpindi.

Caretakers of the shrine said that over the past twenty years the numbers of devotees kept increasing until this year. “Every year we used to see more and more people coming in but this year numbers have been dismal. We hardly have 20 percent of last years’ numbers in attendance,” said caretaker Masood Ikram.

The urs celebrations included an address from the scholars of various all religious sects on the teachings of the saints. The scholars focused on a message of religious harmony and declared suicide attacks to be in complete contradiction with the faith.  Speaking to The Express Tribune district auqaf officer Zaheer Sherazi said “We have made all the necessary living and security arrangements but people are still terrified. The atmosphere has changed completely.” Sherazi said that precautionary measures had been taken regarding food and water as last year over 1,500 people suffered diarrhoea after drinking contaminated water.

Police official Karamat Shah said that 10 security cameras had been installed at the shrine and all routes had been planned for visitors. Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Dilawar Naqvi said “We have ensured tight security and over 1,600 police officials are standing guard but people are still scared. After the recent blast no one feels safe at shrines no matter how much security there is.”



Published in The Express Tribune, April 10^th, 2011.