Sehwan, Sindh

The three-day celebrations of the 773rd Urs (Annual Festival) of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar commenced at Sehwan town of Sindh province of Pakistan amid tight security on Monday February 17, 2025. More than 5000 personnel of police and rangers, a paramilitary force, were deployed to ensure law and order.

Hundreds of thousand pilgrims from all over the country used to visiting the festival every year. The pilgrims were allowed inside the shrine after thorough checking. Check posts were also setup at different points in the town.

The security arrangements were made to avert any act of terrorism, as on February 16, 2017, the terrorists had made suicide bomb attacks at shrine killing 90 people and injuring 300 others. After this deadliest attack, the government takes such stringent security measures to ensure safety of the pilgrims.

Acting Governor of Sindh and Speaker of the Sindh Assembly, Syed Owais Qadir Shah, inaugurated the festival by laying a ‘Chadar’, a piece of cloth, at the shrine and offering Fatiha.

After the inauguration, Acting Governor distributed clothes and gifts among poor and deserving women. Compared to last year, the number of devotees has increased.

Later, talking to the media persons, Owais Qadir Shah said he will write to the Chairman of the National Highway Authority regarding the delayed construction of the Indus Highway, which is causing road accidents. A number of travelers have died in accident at Indus highway during one and a half month of 2025.

As usual, folk music concert, Qawali concert and folk poetry session were held at the Shahbaz auditorium to entertain the pilgrims. Later, a literary conference was also held.

Another interesting event was Malakhrro, the traditional Sindhi wrestling, which is held all the three days of the festival. Renowned Pahlwans (wrestlers) from all over Sindh are participating to show their skills at this cultural event. Some of the famous wrestlers attending the Malakhrro are Gul Hassan Chandio, Hazoor Bux Zardari, Sajad Laghari, Ghulam Hussain Pathan, Rahib Sheedi, Moosa Behan and others.

At the end of Malakhro, cash prizes and shields were distributed among the wrestlers securing first, second and third position.

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From Our Correspondent

Sehwan

The 770th Annual Urs Celebrations of great Sufi Saint Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar would be held from 22nd to 24th March 2022 amid tight security, as the administration has decided to deploy 4500 personnel of police and rangers at Sehwan.

Divisional Commissioner Hyderabad Nadeem-ur-Rehman Memon presided over a meeting at Abdullah Shah Medical Institute’s hall in Sehwan on Tuesday to review the arrangements for the Urs celebrations.

He directed the concerned officers to ensure provision of all possible basic facilities to the devotees during celebrations.

He said since hundreds of thousands of devotees from across the country were expected to come in Sehwan, the administration should remove temporary encroachments around the shrine.

He directed concerned officers of law enforcement agencies to ensure foolproof security arrangements during celebrations. He also directed the HESCO officials to avoid unannounced load shedding during Urs celebrations in Sehwan and remove all technical faults if any before commencement of Urs.

Commissioner further directed the officers of all the concerned departments to submit their contingency plan to the district administration and directed the concerned officers of district Jamshoro to set up their camp office at Sehwan during the Urs days.

He warned the officers of Public Health Engineering of strict action in case of any negligence and instructed the officers of Health Department to ensure availability of medicines and ambulances to meet any eventuality during Urs celebrations.

Briefing the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Jamshoro Capt. (R) Fariduddin Mustafa informed that after two years gap Urs celebrations are going to be held thus almost double number of devotees were expected this year.

He informed that during Urs celebrations, entry of heavy vehicles in Sehwan would be banned while alternative route would be given to them. He said that to avoid any loss of life during Urs Mubarak, Section 144 has been imposed on bathing in canals and Indus River. Besides, 4500 personnel of Police and Rangers would also perform their duties during Urs while more than 180 CCTV cameras have been installed at the shrine alone and for the first time a mobile control room has also been set up, he informed.

DC Jamshoro said that the first day of Urs would be a public holiday in the district Jamshoro.

SSP Jamshoro Javed Baloch, Additional Commissioner Hyderabad Sanaullah Rind and officers of all concerned departments attended the meeting and gave detailed briefing regarding arrangements of Urs.

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The post 3-Day Urs celebrations of Qalandar Shahbaz to begin on March 22 first appeared on Sindh Courier.