Sehwan, (Pakistan Point News - 7th May, 2018) : The third and final day of the of the 766th death anniversary of Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar has seen 11 people lose their lives due to the weather. According to the Sehwan Edhi centre in-charge Mairaj Qureshi, 11 bodies have been brought to the centre, with all of the people having passed away due to a heart attack due to the heat. Mairaj added that out of the 11, eight deceased have been handed over to their relatives while the three unidentified bodies have been buried.
The deceased belonged to Faisalabad, Chichawatni, Multan, Bahawalpur, Samundri, Jhang and Vehari. On the other hand, Jamshoro Deputy Commissioner Fareedudin Mustafa has denied that any deaths have occurred. Every year thousands of devotees flock down to Sehwan Sharif to commemorate the death anniversary of the Sufi saint. The visitors come prepared to stay in the city throughout the Urs with some renting houses from locals, while others carry tents with them for their sojourn.
Lal Shahbaz Qalandar's Urs is held at Sehwan on the 18 of Shaaban, the eighth month of the Muslim Calendar. On each morning of the three-day feast, Sehwan is packed with pilgrims and devotees who sing and indulge in trance-like dance from early morning till night. Folk singers (mandali) from different regions of the country are also part of the event each year. In February 2017, an explosion at the shrine claimed nearly 100 lives and injured many others. The victims had been performing dhamaal, a ritual by devotees when an explosion ripped through the shrine. The shrine was closed for visitors following the incident, but activity on the premises restored after some time.
