Daily Times

DADU: The three-day annual Urs of Pir Gaji Shah, known as the king of the Jinns has started on Saturday at his shrine in Taluka Johi on Saturday.

The shrine is located some 70kms away from Dadu, in the west of Kachho Belt. A large number of men, women and children visit shrine with believe that if they dance here they will be joined by the Jinns and will be freed from evil spirits.

Visitors believe that dancing here was a spiritual reverence shown to Pir Gaaji Shah. So they follow the music of the instruments played by local Faqirs and keep dancing till the moment they faint and wake up to the trust that the evil spirit, which had possessed their bodies, had left.

People, mostly belonging to the Broach and Baloch communities from various parts of Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab come to attend the event.

Nadia Mangsi, 30-year old woman, a resident of Jhall Mangsi, told that she has been visiting the shrine since last eight years as she had vowed to dance with the Jinns every year.

Taking to this reporter, Jamal Khatoou Brohi, resident of Naseerabad said that it has been 20 years that she had visited the shrine first time. Since then, there is no break. “W come here every year to dance with the Jinns” she added.

Commenting on the practice of dancing, a social activist, Nadeem Ahmed Ghallo said that people have been doing this due to illiteracy and sickness. Dr Mohammad Ismail Lashari said that most of the visitors were the patients of hysteria. They are in need of medical treatment rather than this practice of dancing, he said.

Former SSP Dadu Javid Ahmed Jiskani has urged the authorities not to neglect this issue. “It is illegal to misguide mentally ill people in such a manner,” he says.

“Additionally it is a shameful act, which is forcing people, especially women towards illiteracy. Law enforcers must keep a close watch on such activities and ensure their legitimacy.”

Many of the visitors complained about no availability of basic facilities for the devotees. SSP Dadu, Shabbir Ahmed Sethar told that strict security measures were taken at annual Urs of Pir Gaje Shah and 400 Police officials were deployed to perform duties. He said that every person was being checked due to possible security threats while all of the visitors are being allowed to enter the Urs area.