DADU: Preparations are on for the 772nd Urs of Sufi saint Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, which is scheduled to commence on Thursday. Devotees from all over the nation have begun to arrive at Sehwan in order to take part in the three-day festivities.
Security, medical care, and other plans for the believers were allegedly finalized by the authorities.
As part of security measures, thousands of police officers have been sent into action. In addition, other medical camps have been set up in the nearby towns and along the Indus Highway. There are currently around 50 ambulances available for use in an emergency.
In February 2017, a suicide bombing occurred at the shrine, leaving over 150 people injured and at least 70 dead.
According to police, there will be exceptional security measures in place at every level, with strong and integrated connections to other security services.
In order to ensure that bomb disposal teams are deployed to clear the shrine’s premises, the surrounding areas, and all entrance routes, the police chief issued instructions.
Additionally, the police chief issued an order to increase picketing, patrolling, and snap checks on the major thoroughfares.
Sehwan city has been split up into eight security zones, according to Jamshoro police, where some 5,000 police officers, including DSPs, are on duty.
Authorities have been instructed to make sure parking arrangements are made at a fair distance from the temple in addition to clearing any encroachment from the roads leading there.
Any suspicious behavior, bag, package, or vehicle near the shrine should be reported right away to police hotline 15.
However, 350 beds and more than 50 ambulances have been set aside to offer devotees with medical care, according to Dr. Moeenuddin Siddiqi, head of the Syed Abdullah Shah Institute of Medical and Health Sciences.
In addition to the more than twelve medical camps that have been put up along the Indus Highway, he stated that ten more have been built in the areas between Jamshoro and Bhan Syedabad.
Syed Murad Ali Shah, the chief minister of Sindh, visited and evaluated the plans. He also received briefings from the commissioner of Hyderabad and the head of the regional police.
He was told that a control center had been installed so that CCTV cameras could be used to keep an eye on the celebrations.
Mr. Shah gave the relevant officials instructions to make sure pilgrims had access to water, restrooms, and other amenities.
A disagreement arose in the meantime concerning a rest house between Sindh Tourism Development Corporation and the Mela committee (organisers), as the latter refused to turn it over to the former.
The tourism official declared, “The rest house has already been rented out.” But if the committee agreed to pay the rent, he said, then the problem could be resolved.
However, the committee chairman stated that rest homes were turned over to the district government and event planners in accordance with previous tradition during the Urs celebrations.
