Daily Times

LAHORE: A large number of people visited graveyards across the city for offering ‘Fateha’ on the graves of their loved ones on the eve of Ashura.

However, security and traffic arrangements were not satisfactory at most of the graveyards. Citizens were seen angry with the district administration, metropolitan corporation and other departments concerned for not making proper arrangements of parking, water and washrooms at the graveyards. People started arriving at the graveyards after Fajr prayers on Sunday. Some of them were seen getting the damaged graves of their loved ones repaired, while others laid floral wreaths and strewed rose petals over the graves. People were also seen reciting verses from the Holy Quran and offering Fateha, besides praying for the eternal peace of their deceased relatives as well as the martyrs of Karbala.

The sale of rose petals also increased manifolds, while shopkeepers – taking advantage of the occasion – hiked the prices of flowers and petals. Many people had also set up flower stalls outside the graveyards and their surrounding areas, which also caused traffic problems for the visitors. The rose petals were being sold from Rs 250 to Rs 350 per kilogramme across the city on Sunday, while the same were being sold from Rs 100 to Rs 150 on Monday. Talking to Daily Times, a number of people complained of lack of basic arrangements like water, parking and washrooms for visitors at the graveyards. They said that it took them hours to arrange for water to sprinkle on graves. Meanwhile, traffic also remained jammed on Bahawalpur Road, as people visiting the Miani Sahib Graveyard had parked their vehicles on the main road. Some of the people also complained of lack of security arrangements for visitors at the graveyard.

Published in Daily Times, October 3^rd 2017.