KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday issued notices to the home secretary, Auqaf department, provincial police chief, director general of the Rangers and others asking them to file their respective replies on a petition seeking opening of the Manghopir shrine, which was shut in the wake of the terrorist attack on the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.

Headed by Justice Nadeem Akhtar, a two-judge bench also issued a notice to the provincial government’s law officer and put off the hearing to March 9.

The petition was filed by Syed Shah Ghulam Mohiuddin Sharafi Firdausi, the caretaker of the Manghopir shrine, who sought directives for the law-enforcement agencies to open the shrine and provide adequate security to it.

The shrine, famous for the sulphur springs and pond next to the tomb of the saint which houses endangered and protected species of crocodiles, was closed to the public by the provincial authorities in view of security risks.

More than 300 rare crocodiles are starving, court told

The petitioner, represented by advocate Ghulam Haider Shaikh, told the judges that after the terrorist attack on the Sehwan shrine, the Manghopir shrine was locked.

“More than 300 crocodiles inside the pond have been starving for the last two weeks as the shrine has been closed to the devotees who feed them,” he added.

The counsel said that the petitioner had written to the authorities to open the shrine but they did not do so. The shrine caretaker stated in his petition that back in 2010 when the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi was attacked, all other shrines in the province were locked and subsequently the authorities decided to erect boundary walls around them. However, no boundary wall was erected around the Manghopir shrine on the pretext of non-availability of funds.

He said, when approached, the authorities refused to open the shrine and provide security to it.

The petitioner said it was after directives of the high court that the security agencies opened the shrine and security was provided there.

He stated that despite court orders and the assurances given by the Auqaf department in court, the shrine was not being properly maintained.

Petitioner Syed Firdausi submitted that the department’s lack of interest could be gauged from the fact that K-Electric had disconnected power supply to the shrine over non-payment of bills but the authorities did not take steps to restore it.

He said in the petition that there was still a serious threat from land-grabbers and miscreants who were eying the land of the shrine, which comprised the tomb of the saint, adjoining mosque, crocodile pond and graveyard. “A large piece of the shrine’s land has already been encroached upon by the residents of the neighbourhood who have built their houses on it,” he added.

The petitioner said that every month the donation boxes fixed on the premises of the shrine were opened and a large amount was collected by the authorities. “There is no accountability or any proper oversight over how funds are being utilised and the shrine is left with the financial support from devotees,” he said.

The petitioner further said: “Despite regular collection of money, hardly any amount is spent on the maintenance of the shrine. Instead of maintaining it, the authorities closed the shrine and adjoining mosque and madressah, declaring [them] unsafe for visit. However, a charity organisation has been maintaining the shrine and other adjoining properties on its own.”

The caretaker of the Manghopir shrine asked the court to direct the authorities concerned to open the shrine and provide adequate security to it.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2017