July 17, 2007	Tuesday	Rajab 01, 1428

ISLAMABAD, July 16: The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works has suggested installing close circuit cameras and other security-related equipment at the shrine of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar at Sehwan Sharif to ensure safety of visitors.

The committee, which met here on Monday under the chairmanship of Senator Mohammad Ali Brohi, took the decision due to the prevailing law and order situation obtaining in the aftermath of the operation against Lal Masjid. The committee members also reviewed the ongoing renovation work at the shrine.

Sources told Dawn the decision may lead to adoption of similar measures at other shrines in the country.

They said the members discussed the renovation work being carried out at the shrine at a cost of Rs500 million. An amount of Rs300 million has been spent on the project. Some members expressed reservations over the quality of the work initiated some 14 years ago.

The committee rejected a report on the plan and the chairman set up a sub-committee to look into a joint report as well as observations of the National Construction Limited (NCL).

The chairman himself is the convener of the sub-committee and its members are Farooq Naek, Dr Abdul Khaliq Pirzada and Bibi Yasmeen Shah.

The members of the sub-committee would visit the shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai on July 28 and the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar on July 30 to find out defects, if any, in the construction work.

Earlier, the committee was given a briefing by the NCL representatives on the cost analysis of various options available for making the dome waterproof.