Bahauddin Zakariya: Qureshi urges Sufi followers to join him

MULTAN:

Ceremonies to mark the 772nd death anniversary of Bahauddin Zakariya, patron saint of Multan, started on Saturday.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi gave bath to the mausoleum.

Addressing the Zakariya conference, Qureshi said some political parties were planning to divide Sindh to prevent followers of Sufi saints from propagating the saints’ message of peace and harmony.

He said he hoped these people would leave President Asif Ali Zardari and instead join him to thwart the former’s designs against them.

He said his party would bring peace and prosperity to the country by acting on the teachings of Bahauddin Zakariya and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

He announced he would soon hold tours to all provinces of the country to meet people from various ethnic groups so that they could be united on PTI’s platform.

He said terrorism was in fact a conspiracy against Islam and was meant to malign Muslims all over the world. He said the government had failed to counter these designs against Muslims.  Qureshi also spoke about the Balochistan crisis.

Minister for Zakat and Usher Ehsaan uddin Qureshi also attended the ceremonies on Saturday.

The urs will continue for three days. Pilgrims from all over the country have arrived in Multan to attend the ceremonies. These pilgrims are staying at camps set up at Qasim Baagh Stadium.

More than 500 police personnel were deployed in and around the shrine to ensure security.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2012.