Lahore High Court here Monday directed Pakistan Railways to assemble additional bogies in routine trains for facilitating zaireens (devotees) to join annual urs of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. Earlier, railways chief operating superintendent, through a written reply, informed the court that the department is facing shortage of locomotives and is not in a position to run special trains on the occasion of annual Urs of the Sufi saint Shahbaz Qalandar.
On court orders, a report regarding special trains, run by the railways during the period of last six months, was submitted. The report revealed that eight special trains had been run during the period including six for Sikh pilgrims, and one each for Raiwind religious congregation and Urs of Hazrat Bahauddin Zikriya at Multan. It said trains for Sikhs had to be arranged because of international commitment while only two special trains were arranged for domestic passengers.
It was also stated in the report that due to shortage of locomotives, the department could not run special trains to facilitate the petitioner or devotees who wished to attend Urs of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. After going through the report, the court directed the railways authorities to facilitate the devotees by assembling additional bogies in routine trains and disposed of a petition filed by Jhoolay Lal Council.
Council's president Sheikh Tariq Abbas had submitted that every year railways runs 14 special trains to facilitate the devotees of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar who come across the country to participate Urs celebrations. He said the Council buys train's tickets worth Rs 36 lac (0.36 million) for the devotees every year giving huge revenue to railways.
Petitioner said this year the railways department closed different trains owing to financial constraints and also stopped service of special trains to accommodate the devotees of Lal Shahbaz. He said Urs of Lal Shahbaz is going to start from July 31 to August 2 in Sehwan Sharif, Sindh but the devotees face serious problem due to closure of special trains and unable to reach their destination in time.
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