DADU: The administration has taken steps to ensure the safety and security of devotees on the occasion of the three-day 771st Urs of 13th-century saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan Sharif.
With its ancient hypnotic rituals, Sufism is a mystical form of Islam that has been practised in Pakistan for centuries.
The shrine is one of Pakistan’s most revered holy sites and attracts up to a million visitors each year. It is perhaps best known for men and women practicing the ancient form of Sufi dance called the dhamaal.
Men and women beating drums, waving their arms and swirling together as they practice the dhamaal are a common Thursday night spectacle at the Lal Qalandar shrine.
Devotees from various parts of the country have arrived, many on foot, and are staying in tents and motels.
Several parts of the town close to the shrine have been declared a red zone, with 4,720 police officials performing security duties and officials in plainclothes also deployed to monitor the situation.
The shrine and town will be monitored round the clock with the help of 400 CCTV cameras, and 30 walkthrough gates have been installed at various entry and exit routes.
Additionally, 12 medical camps have been set up at different places in the town to provide medical assistance to devotees.
