Sindh Government on Saturday announced that the Urs of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar will not be commemorated and the shrine will be sealed for ten days for the devotees on the pretext of coronavirus.
The announcement by the provincial government has created anger and unrest among the millions of devotees and the residents of Sehwan Sharif, as the decision contradicts its early announcement according to which the Sindh government allowed to observe the annual Urs with strict SOPs.
The reservations to the fresh decision were expressed by the caretaker of the shrine of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Dr. Syed Mehdi Raza Shah Sabzwari during a hurriendly called press conference at the residence of Dr. Nabi Buledi here.
During the press conference, Dr Sabzwari said there is no other source of earning in Sehwan such as factories or industrial zones and noted that the only business activity that takes place in the area is due to the arrival of devotees of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar from all over the globe who shop after attending the shrine.
He said hotel owners, shopkeepers and owners of Musafirkhana purchased material worth millions of rupees following the announcement by the Sindh Government allowing the commemoration of the Urs, and added that the business owners have taken huge loans for this purpose. But, he noted that after the closure announcement, the local business owners are worried over repayment of the loans and warned that the provincial government’s decision will inflict a huge loss on local businesses.
He appealed to the Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Auqaf Minister Suhail Anwer Siyal and other relevant authorities for the government to obtain list of procured material from the shopkeepers of Sehwan Sharif and make payment to them to compensate for the projected losses, as Sindh Government has billions of rupees which can save the shopkeepers from huge losses. But, he warmed that such action is not taken then, he feared, shopkeepers will not die of coronavirus but will lose lives due to hunger, impoverishment, starvation, poverty and loans as a result of this abrupt decision.