BADIN: A curfew-like situation prevailed in Luari Sharif town of Badin taluka on Saturday as disciples of revered Sultanul Aulia Hazrat Khwaja Mohammad Zaman started gathering at his shrine to celebrate his urs.

For many years until 2021, the shrine and its surroundings had remained a centre of disturbances involving two rival groups of disciples struggling for its control. The shrine had to be sealed off for several years to prevent an escalation.

In 2021, ulema belonging to different schools of thought held a gathering to declare that any sort of rituals resembling Manasik-i-Haj on the 7th to 10th of Zilhaj, when the urs is celebrated, were un-Islamic and must be avoided/forbidden.

This year, the district administration sensed that the rival groups of disciples were preparing to celebrate the urs near the shrine and challenge each other. It feared that such gatherings might disturb peace in the area.

On the recommendation of the Badin deputy commissioner, Hyderabad Commissioner Ahsan Ali Qureshi imposed Section 144 Cr.PC within the radius of five kilometres around the shrine for five days, i.e. from 7th to 11th of Zilhaj, to maintain law and order.

Carrying or displaying arms, hatches, lathis or any other weapons have been banned.

The disciples have reacted angrily to the district administration’s step of imposing Section 144 Cr.PC, saying that it was aimed at stopping them from celebrating the urs.

Leaders of both the groups have appealed to the higher authorities concerned to allow them to celebrate the urs.

No untoward incident was reported till late Saturday evening after police were deployed to prevent any suspicious person from entering the cordoned off area around the shrine.

Luari Sharif town had been witnessing violent incidents involving the rival groups over the last few decades.

Several people had lost their lives in the disturbances.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2024