SEHWAN (SW): Scorching heat wave has claimed 17 lives during a Sufi festival in Pakistan's southern Sindh province on Sunday.
Each year, thousands of pilgrims and followers of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar (13th Century Saint who migrated from Afghanistan and settled in Sindh) gather here to pay homage. The casualties have been reported from Sehwan district due to heat stroke and other reasons during the past two days as thousands braced the extreme weather to attend the 763rd death anniversary of Qalandar.
Initially, 10 casualties were reported on Saturday due to severe weather and shortage of drinking water when the local temperature was recorded around 44 degrees Celsius.
Devotees continued to throng the shrine on Sunday despite the heat wave that caused more casualties. Seven more deaths on Sunday have brought the toll up to 17.
The festivity at the Qalandar’s Shrine would conclude on Monday.
On Friday, Abdul Qayoum Soomro, Advisor to the Provincial Chief inaugurated the Sufi festival. He vowed the government has made arrangements to provide maximum facilities to devotees who came from across the country to mark the occasion.
The Advisor claimed water, medicine and security would be provided to the devotees during the three-day festivity.
Shahbaz Qalandar is one amongst many Sufis that once thrived in this part of the country and still have thousands of followers despite the growing revulsion towards them by the militant forces.
ENDS
