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For the second consecutive year, the urs of Bari Imam (Shah Abdul Latif Kazmi) has not taken place. Ever since the mirror-studded shrine of Bari Imam was built by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb 250 years ago, the urs has been a major religious-cultural event held annually at a locality in Islamabad called Nurpur Shahan. Last year the event did not take place because of security reasons. This time it is the government's financial problems that appear to have delayed the completion of renovation work at the shrine. Whatever the case, Islamabad has been deprived of a colourful festival.
Bari Imam's urs, apart from its spiritual value, had become one of Pakistan's biggest rustic fairs. The festival was not only held in honour of Bari Imam, his religious teachings and efforts to promote peace and harmony. It also represented the Potohar culture and attracted tens of thousands of people from all over the country every year.
Political circumstances in the 2000s as well as the location of Bari Imam's shrine — adjacent to the diplomatic enclave and important government buildings — have no doubt rendered the urs a security risk. The reality of this risk was demonstrated by the bomb blast at the shrine during the urs in 2005. But the security risk and financial crunch notwithstanding, the urs of Bari Imam, which is part of the cultural heritage of the area, ought to be preserved. If, as reported, there are criminal activities in the vicinity of the shrine, efforts should be made to curtail these and security measures boosted to minimise the risk posed by terrorists. A cultural tradition that has been alive for over two and a half centuries cannot be allowed to die. Preserving the shrine and the tradition will reflect how far the government's is willing to go to protect a pluralistic culture.
