The Sindh government has cancelled the annual Urs of Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar that was scheduled to start from April 12.

The three-day Urs takes place at his shrine in Sehwan. According to Jamshoro's deputy commissioner, the decision was taken following the spike in the number of cases of coronavirus.

"More than 27 million people attend the Urs every year," he said. "To ensure the safety of the pilgrims we have cancelled the event and it will now take place next year," the commissioner added.

As per the Islamic calendar, the three days of festivities at the shrine start from Shaban 18. Thousands from all over Pakistan visit the shrine to attend the Urs.