KARACHI: Following the Sea View bombing on Wednesday night, security for the Urs of Abdullah Shah Ghazi that began on Thursday has been increased manifold.
There are barricades and police officials on the road from Park Towers which takes one to the heavily-lit up green dome. No vehicles are allowed, and devout pilgrims walk hand in hand to pay homage to the saint.
By the main gate men and women are separated, and a body search occurs in a tent, followed by a handbag check. Inside, there are officials installed every foot or so.
Pilgrims arrive in a festive mood to mark the Urs. The women wear their best clothes, the younger ones have gone a step ahead by painting their faces in deep hues of red. "It is an occasion for us, we will stay here for an hour or two, then go back to our house where arrangements for a Qawali night have been made," says Kiran, a newly-wed woman, who believes she got the "love of her life" because she made an offering at the shrine.
With her come 60 other family members. They crowd under a green chador; the women stand behind, the men at the front, and together they recite religious supplications. They have done this for years, and vow to keep doing so as long as they live. "Our belief is staunch," says an elder of the family.
There are arrangements for Qawalis inside the shrine too. A stage is being set up, and the singing will continue throughout the night.
Nayyar ul Haq, DSP Clifton, sits on a chair outside the main gate; he is personally overseeing the security arrangements. "There are 200 policemen installed, some in plain clothes," he says.
The four entrances to the shrine have been sealed. The arrangements will continue for three days and, according to him, "security might be increased but not lessened in the coming days".
"The blast last night has also led to tightening of the security. Though investigations are still going on the possibility of the shrine being a target cannot be ruled out. They were targeting a public place for sure," the DSP says. The Bomb Disposal Squad is on alert, the Qawali stage has been thoroughly checked and around 25 to 50 city wardens are also on duty. They check for suspicious people, discipline the crowd, and do not allow smoking or spitting in the area. A duty session may last for a minimum of eight hours. "I haven't gotten a chance to pay homage to the Baba yet," says one city warden who is on duty, and plans on going upstairs at the saint's grave once his duty ends. Some 50,000 to 60,000 pilgrims visit the shrine every day during the Urs.
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