JHANG: The police have cancelled a traditional local fair -- Jhang Mela Sang -- being held here, forcing closure of various temporary shops and stalls set up in connection with the festival, in view of recent spate of terrorism in the country.

The festival is celebrated every year before wheat harvest in reverence for saint Syed Ahmed Sultan, popularly known as Hazrat Sakhi Sarwar, for centuries. The Muslim saint was equally revered by those belonging to other faiths as well, including Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity.

The annual Urs of the saint is held at his shrine at Dera Ghazi Khan that is attended by thousands of his devotees arriving there from far off places in groups called “Sangee”.

On their way to the saint’s shrine, these devotees stay briefly at various places and hold celebrations.

One of these groups that annually travels to DG Khan from Pindi Bhattian, with devotees carrying flags, stops for a week at Jhang after short stays at Chiniot and Bhowana. On their arrival here, a special meal, known as “Choori”, is served to the devotees. The ‘sacred meal’ is also distributed among other visitors to the fair.

To show reverence for the saint, the women of the area who have newborns especially visit Jhang during the week-long stay of the devotees who sing the babies ritualistic lullaby (locally called lori).

A mini fair, Jhang Mela Sang, is held during the week that concludes with the devotees’ departure for DG Khan. During the fair, various stalls of food, toys, pottery, cloth and other commodities are established here for the visitors.

However, this season as soon as the festival began, local police headed by Kotwali SHO got these stalls closed. Policemen have also been deployed at the festival site to check any festivity.

Those who had set up the stalls hoping profits, as well as the revelers, felt disappointed by the police action and cancellation of the traditional fair at the eleventh hour.

District police spokesman said the fair had to be cancelled because of the recent wave of terrorism and security threat. He said under such circumstances public gatherings at open places could not be allowed because of security concern.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2017