Securing the saints’ abodes
Auqaf minister blames bureaucracy for delaying security plan for shrines.
KARACHI:
Following the blasts at Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s mazaar on Thursday, the Sindh Auqaf department has formed a new strategy to secure shrines across the province.
Talking to The Express Tribune on Friday, Sindh Auqaf Minister Abdul Haseeb Khan blamed the bureaucracy for delaying the approval of the security plan for shrines.
The Auqaf department has proposed set up of CCTV cameras and walk-through gates worth Rs20 million for around 79 shrines in the province. “Out of the proposed Rs20 million, Rs4 million were allocated for walk-through gates while the rest of the amount will be used to buy CCTV cameras,” he said.
The cameras will be set up according to the area occupied by the shrine, he explained. At Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine, 38 cameras will be installed, while 24 cameras will be installed at Shah Latif Bhittai, 31 at Qalandar Lal Shahbaz and around 20 at Daraza Sharif at the shrine of Hazrat Sachal Sarmast, he added.
“We have limited resources and struggle to pay the salaries of 700 employees,” said Khan. “In this situation, how can we bear other expenses?” he questioned.
According to the minister, the department collects a maximum of Rs18 million in Nazrana, or offerings, every year from the shrines, but this amount is not enough to pay the salaries of all the employees. Each employee at the Auqaf department earns a meagre salary, between Rs1,500 and Rs2,000.
The minister said that they have suggested that the Sindh government take care of the salaries so that the department is free to utilise its resources on renovations and rehabilitation but they have yet to receive a response.
Shrines across Sindh to open today
All shrines, which have been sealed following the suicide attacks in Karachi, will be reopened today (Saturday), the minister announced, emphasising that the government must release Rs50 million as soon as possible so that such incidents can be avoided in the future.
Referring to the attacks on Abdullah Shah Ghazi mazaar, he said that “it was not a security lapse”. “We should salute our security guards who stopped the suicide bombers from entering the mazaar and saved the lives of hundreds of people,” he pointed out.
The security contract for the shrine was given to a private company, Twenty First Century, which deployed around 29 guards, including five women. Around eight guards, including the deputy manager, sustained injuries while a female guard died on Thursday.
“Once the mazaar is cleaned up, the district government will hand it over to us,” Khan explained. Once their department takes charge, they will install walk-through gates and surveillance cameras along the gateways for both male and female visitors, he added.
Auqaf department’s jurisdiction
The ratio of devotees visiting the shrines of Abdulllah Shah Ghazi, Lal Shahbaz and Shah Latif Bhittai shrines is higher than others. Auqaf department collects around offerings worth Rs15,000 to Rs20,000 every day. According to Khan, there are 27 big and small shrines in Karachi that come under the Auqaf Department.
“We have requested IG Sindh police to provide security to the shrines without any delays,” Khan said, pointing out that none of the shrines have surveillance cameras besides that of Qalandar Lal Shahbaz. “We have rented around 21 cameras but we hope to equip all shrines will the latest security tools very soon.”
Out of the 78 mosques in Sindh that fall under the Auqaf department, 44 are running in deficit with the department bearing all expenses, said Khan.
Among these 78 mosques, 32 are located in Karachi, 15 in Hyderabad, one in Dadu, five in Mirpurkhas, four in Thatta, one in Tando Muhammad Khan, six in Sukkur, nine in Larkana, six in Benazirabad (Nawabshah) and one in Daraza (Khairpur).
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2010.
Following the blasts at Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s mazaar on Thursday, the Sindh Auqaf department has formed a new strategy to secure shrines across the province.
Talking to The Express Tribune on Friday, Sindh Auqaf Minister Abdul Haseeb Khan blamed the bureaucracy for delaying the approval of the security plan for shrines.
The Auqaf department has proposed set up of CCTV cameras and walk-through gates worth Rs20 million for around 79 shrines in the province. “Out of the proposed Rs20 million, Rs4 million were allocated for walk-through gates while the rest of the amount will be used to buy CCTV cameras,” he said.
The cameras will be set up according to the area occupied by the shrine, he explained. At Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine, 38 cameras will be installed, while 24 cameras will be installed at Shah Latif Bhittai, 31 at Qalandar Lal Shahbaz and around 20 at Daraza Sharif at the shrine of Hazrat Sachal Sarmast, he added.
“We have limited resources and struggle to pay the salaries of 700 employees,” said Khan. “In this situation, how can we bear other expenses?” he questioned.
According to the minister, the department collects a maximum of Rs18 million in Nazrana, or offerings, every year from the shrines, but this amount is not enough to pay the salaries of all the employees. Each employee at the Auqaf department earns a meagre salary, between Rs1,500 and Rs2,000.
The minister said that they have suggested that the Sindh government take care of the salaries so that the department is free to utilise its resources on renovations and rehabilitation but they have yet to receive a response.
Shrines across Sindh to open today
All shrines, which have been sealed following the suicide attacks in Karachi, will be reopened today (Saturday), the minister announced, emphasising that the government must release Rs50 million as soon as possible so that such incidents can be avoided in the future.
Referring to the attacks on Abdullah Shah Ghazi mazaar, he said that “it was not a security lapse”. “We should salute our security guards who stopped the suicide bombers from entering the mazaar and saved the lives of hundreds of people,” he pointed out.
The security contract for the shrine was given to a private company, Twenty First Century, which deployed around 29 guards, including five women. Around eight guards, including the deputy manager, sustained injuries while a female guard died on Thursday.
“Once the mazaar is cleaned up, the district government will hand it over to us,” Khan explained. Once their department takes charge, they will install walk-through gates and surveillance cameras along the gateways for both male and female visitors, he added.
Auqaf department’s jurisdiction
The ratio of devotees visiting the shrines of Abdulllah Shah Ghazi, Lal Shahbaz and Shah Latif Bhittai shrines is higher than others. Auqaf department collects around offerings worth Rs15,000 to Rs20,000 every day. According to Khan, there are 27 big and small shrines in Karachi that come under the Auqaf Department.
“We have requested IG Sindh police to provide security to the shrines without any delays,” Khan said, pointing out that none of the shrines have surveillance cameras besides that of Qalandar Lal Shahbaz. “We have rented around 21 cameras but we hope to equip all shrines will the latest security tools very soon.”
Out of the 78 mosques in Sindh that fall under the Auqaf department, 44 are running in deficit with the department bearing all expenses, said Khan.
Among these 78 mosques, 32 are located in Karachi, 15 in Hyderabad, one in Dadu, five in Mirpurkhas, four in Thatta, one in Tando Muhammad Khan, six in Sukkur, nine in Larkana, six in Benazirabad (Nawabshah) and one in Daraza (Khairpur).
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2010.