BAHAWALPUR: The historic mosque of Hazrat Sher Shah Syed Jalaludin Surkhposh Bokhari’s mausoleum in Uch Sharif has been closed for the last several months because of rickety roof.

The mosque’s roof collapsed a few months ago and the Auqaf department has failed to have it repaired due to which devotees have been deprived of the facility.

The mosque was of great importance during the pre-Islamic period as Muhammad bin Qasim and many saints had stayed in this mosque to spread the message of Islam in the subcontinent. For this reason, the devotees and the visitors to the shrine attach great respect to this mosque.

The Auqaf department had given a contract for the repair work of the roof but the contractor during the past months left it incomplete.

Administrator Ghulam Abbas of Auqaf department, Bahawalpur division told Dawn that the repair work of the mosque was being done by the engineering branch of the provincial Auqaf department (Lahore).

He informed that the contract had been given for the repair of the rooftop which had old beams of deodar. He said timber being much costly could not be available to the contractor who asked for the revised contract amount.

He said the officials were working on revised estimates after which the project would be resumed.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2020