The ritual of washing (ghusl) of the shrine of Ali bin Usman Al-Hajveri, popularly known as Data Ganj Bakhsh, was performed ahead of his 977th annual Urs celebrations.
Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Saeedul Hassan Shah, Minister for Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal, Religious Affairs Committee Chairman Nazir Chohan, Auqaf Department Secretary Arshad Ahmad and Director General Tahir Raza Bukhari and a number of devotees jointly performed the ritual.
The shrine washing ceremony started with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran. Special prayers were offered for peace and prosperity of the country. Later, the shrine was washed with rosewater.
Speaking to media persons later, the governor said the matter regarding the legislation related to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) would be resolved in parliament. If opposition halts this legislation, this will go against the national interest, he added.
“I am hopeful that the opposition parties will not become a hurdle in the legislative process on the FATF issue,” he maintained.
Responding to a question, the governor said there was a rift within the opposition because some of them support reconciliation whereas others are adamant on confrontation. All opposition parties are seeking their own political interest, therefore they will never be united against the government, he added.
Sarwar said NAB and legislation regarding FATF were two separate matters. The opposition should express its reservations about the National Accountability Bureau in parliament rather than criticising it, he said, adding that they can put forward their suggestions regarding reforms in NAB as such matters are decided within parliament. “Prime Minister Imran Khan has made it clear from the very first day that there will be no compromise on accountability,” he added.
He said that there was religious harmony during Muharram. While paying tribute to the security forces he said that the sacrifices of the security forces for maintaining law and order in Pakistan were unmatchable. Sarwar said the federal government is taking steps to solve the problems caused by torrential rains in Karachi.
“I am going to visit Karachi very soon for providing relief to victims with the support of some philanthropists,” he said.
The district administration and city police had made very strict security arrangements in and around the shrine for the ceremony held on Muharram 9 every year ahead of the three-day Urs celebrations. Police had closed all roads leading to the shrine for al traffic for the washing and Muharram processions as Data Darbar is very close the main Imambargah of the provincial capital, Karbala Gamay Shah.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2020.
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