LARKANA:Sindh government announced a week ago that the annual Urs of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar will be observed under SOPs, but the provincial government declared today that the Urs will not be commemorated and shrine would be sealed for 10 days for the devotees on the pretext of coronavirus. He said due to this announcement, anger and unrest is felt among the millions of devotees and the residents of Sehwan Sharif.
This was stated by the caretaker of the shrine of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Dr Syed Mehdi Raza Shah Sabzwari while addressing a press conference at the residence of Dr. Nabi Buledi here Saturday. He said there is no other source of earning in Sehwan such as factories or industrial zones and all business 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 after the announcement by the Sindh Government that Urs will be observed after taking huge loans but after the closure announcement their both hands are over their heads now as to how will they be able to repay the loans for which they are extremely worried and facing big losses.
He appealed to Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Auqaf Minister Suhail Anwer Siyal and other relevant authorities that government should obtain list of procured material from the shopkeepers of Sehwan Sharif and make payment to them as Sindh Government has billions of rupees budget to save the shopkeepers from huge losses, adding if it is not done then, he feared, shopkeepers will not die of coronavirus but they will lose their lives because of hunger, impoverishment, starvation, poverty and loans.