As devotees rush in to greet spiritual leader, six lose their lives in stampede
Thousands of followers, including children, have been gathering at the Dargah Rashdia for decades as it is customary for the Pir Sahib to make a public appearance (Deedar-e-Aam) on occasions such as Eid.
According to the in charge at the Dargah, Faqir Jan Muhammad Mangrio, around 0.5 million devotees of Pir Pagara visit the shrine on Eid.
On August 20, the first day of Eidul Fitr, men and women waited in separate sections of the Dargah for the Pir Sahib to appear in the balcony. According to reports, when the management opened the doors, people rushed inside and some fell on the ground.
As chaos unfolded, the management called the district administration to send a team of doctors and ambulance at the Dargah but five women, Zaibun Nisa, Almi Khatoon, Naseeran, Safia and Zarina, and ten-year-old Hakim reportedly died on the spot before help arrived.
Ghulam Nabi Mahar, the Dargah Rashdia’s spokesperson, confirmed six deaths on the first day of Eid. While talking to The Express Tribune, he said that a request was sent to the district administration to establish a medical camp and provide ambulances for emergencies, but nothing was done. “When we called the administration for medical aid, we were told that doctors were unavailable due to Eid holidays and ambulances were busy in VIP duty.” He added that even the rural health centre in Pir jo Goth, where they were asked to send the patients, had no doctors. “The administration usually arranges medical camps and provides ambulances on such events, but we don’t know why this time nothing was done.” Pir Sahib Pagara is known to make public appearances four times in a year - Eidul Fitr, Eidul Azha, 27th Rajab and 12th Rabiul Awwal.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2012.
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Why don't they just watch him on TV promising loyalty to whoever is in Government? Race Course is a sound advice too..................
The poor sods. Did the "Pir" announce any compensation or offer special prayers for the deceased ?
@Asad Shairani: A very, very good advice indeed.
it seems that Balakrishna is in his own world and is expecting Pakistanis to migrate to India, this is really the joke of the century. What ever the situation is in Pakistan we Pakistanis are proud of our country and could never think of migrating back to a country which we seperated ourselves around 65 years back after sacrifising our lives and properties to earn freedom. It is a fact that muslims cannot live with Hindus because of our different beliefs which is very far apart, i know a lot of people in India who are living in a fools paradise thinking that a day will come when Pakistan will merge with india but i can assure you this will only remain a dream. I would encourage people like Krishna to work towards a lasting peace between the two countries and increase bilateral relationship and business, Both the countries have a huge population of poor people who deserve to have a good life and that can only happen if we live like good neighbours and both countries stop creating problems for others by supporting seperaties movements in each country. I again retriate to Krishna, open up your eyes and live in the real world.
Can someone tell the poor folk they can get a deedar of the Pir at Karachi Race Course every friday?
Vienna,August 23,2012 This is the first time I read about stamped death in Pakistan although they had exported Hindu Sukkur Narain Bakhia to India as two way smuggler chief.Otherwise it had been Indian Hindu hooligan monopoly to cause death of women and children by stampedes. It means the right and left arrow points of ZERO are about to meet. Great sign of emerging unity in any case after sixty five years! It looks also Pakistanis are set to mass immigrate to India through an underworld tunnel they were digging.Yes; Pakistani High Commissioner needs evidence.India should offer him the first chance to enter from the Indian side of the tunnel to walk towards Pakistan as living tested proof. We do not mind if the intention of tunnel is just run away east from a conflict torn land of the pure, we can welcome all 180 million unarmed Pakistanis with open arms.We have enough stock of grains. Besides we have the Ahimsa grains built in our bodies. Taravadu Taranga Trust for Media Monitoring TTTMM India --Kulamarva Balakrishna