City Reporter
The 976th annual three-day Urs celebrations of Hazrat Ali Bin Usman Alhajveri popularly known as Data Gunj Bakhsh will start at his shrine here on Friday (tomorrow).
Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar and Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar will inaugurate the Urs celebrations while performing traditional chador on the grave of the great Sufi saint. Punjab Minister for Auqaf Pir Syed Saeedul Hassain Shah, ministers, MNAs, MPAs, Auqaf secretary and other officials and a large number of devotees will also present on the occasion.
Sources said that Auqaf Department had allocated Rs 10 million for holding the Urs celebrations and lunger in the best manner. About 500 Mashaikh, religious scholars and Na’at Khawans had been invited for spiritual Mahafils.
Also 200 spiritual leaders from Pakistan and India are participating in the Urs.
Regarding security arrangements, the minister said that 103 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras had been installed and 2,000 policemen deputed to ensure security of visitors under the supervision of three SPs. Eleven walk-through gates and 36 metal detectors had been provided for checking visitors at entrance to the darbar. The bomb disposal squad will remain alert during the Urs.
As many as 450 ‘Razacars’ and 45 security guards of Auqaf Department will perform duty to provide protection to the visitors. The department had installed cameras on the premises of darbar to monitor the Urs celebrations.
