Special Assistant of Chief Minister Sindh for Auqaf Syed Ghulam Shah Jeelani has said that strict security measures have been taken on the eve of 378th annual festival (Urs) of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ashabi at his shrine and said all relevant officers of his department strictly directed for the provision of all facilities including tight security measure during the annual festival for the devotees to avoid any untoward situation.
He said he had been visiting various shrines of Sufi saints of Sindh to review security measures and to check the provision of other facilities for devotees on daily basis in pursuance of the orders of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari. This he said while talking to media men after the inauguration of 378th annual festival (Urs) of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ashabi at Makli.
On this occasion provincial Secretary for Auqaf Riaz Hussain Soomro, Information Secretary PPP district Thatta Mahmood Alam Shah, Manager Auqaf Muhammad Nawaz Pathan and others were also present. He expressed his satisfaction over the arrangements being done on the eve of annual Urs of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ashabi and said the country is struggling to cope with extremism and terrorism, adding "it is the need of hour that we must follow the message of peace and brotherhood of Sufi Saints of Sindh."
While responding a question of a journalist he said he had contacted with the Federal Government and Ministry of Water & Power for the early solution of prolonged power outages during the annual Urs celebrations of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ashabi including the annual Urs of other Sufi Saints of Sindh. He said enquiry report revealed that the causes of terrorist attack on the Shrine of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalander took place due to electricity's loadshedding. Further, he said the Ministry of Water & Power assured him to avoid prolonged loadshedding during the annual festival (Urs) at the famous Sufi saints of Sindh. "Installation of CCTV cameras, walkthrough gates and the construction work of boundary walls at various shrines have also been carried out in the province for the strict monitoring and protection of devotees beside the tight security measures," he added.
Meanwhile, Special Assistant of CM Sindh Syed Ghulam Shah Jeelani also inaugurated a shelter house consist of eight rooms for the devotees at the Shrine of Hazrat Abdllah Shah Ashabi. On the eve of annual Urs hundreds of stalls of sweets, traditional costumes, toys and other cultural stalls have also been set up during the three-day fair.