Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad was scheduled to officially inaugurate the urs celebrations, however, due to his official engagements in Karachi, Sindh Minister for Auqaf Abdul Haseeb Khan and Sindh Minister for Culture Sassui Palijo inaugurated the urs by laying floral wreaths and offering fateha at the mazar of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai and his father Shah Habib.
Talking to media on the occasion, the minister said that acquainting people with mysticism was necessary for prevalence of the atmosphere of peace, love, affection, amity and brotherhood. The religious extremism could only be encountered by encouraging mysticism not only in the country, but in the entire world, she added.
The sufis like Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai always preached the message of love and there was the need to spread their message in the world, the minister observed adding that Bhitshah was the centre of mysticism where people from all segments of life and religion come to pay tribute to the great mystic and to learn from his philosophy of life which he embodied through his poetry.
Accompanied by MPA Farheen Mughal and Sindh Secretary for Culture Shams Jafrani, Sassui Palijo informed that Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah would announce a special package for the development of Bhitshah on the third and concluding day of the urs celebrations of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai.
She informed that Sindh Culture Department had been engaged in spreading the message of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai and in that regard had published a series of books in different languages, which were based on his poetry. Sindh Auqaf Minister Abdul Haseeb Khan, while talking to media said that the message of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai motivated people to understand the significance of love and affection with Allah and his creations and to practice the same in the daily lives with their fellow human beings and the other creatures.
Accompanied by Sindh Auqaf Secretary, Younus Dhaga and Sajjada Nashin of the shrine of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai Syed Nisar Hussain Shah, the minister said that Sindh was the land of sufis who had been enlightening the souls of their followers.
To a question about the last minute cancellation of the planned inaugural visit by Governor Sind, the minister refuted any security concern for the said cancellation and said due to presence of President Asif Ali Zardari in Karachi, the governor could not perform the inauguration ceremony. The minister informed that Sindh Auqaf Department had so far spent an amount of Rs 5.7 million for repair and renovation of the mausoleum of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai.