MULTAN: The three-day Urs celebrations of Bahauddin Zakariya and Khwaja Suleman Taunsvi and Khwaja Nizam Mahmood Taunsvi began on Thursday in Multan and Taunsa.

The 778th Urs of Bahauddin Zakariya began at Qila Kuhna Qasim Bagh in Multan where caretaker Shah Mahmood Qureshi performed ‘ghusal’ of the mausoleum.

The National Zakariya Conference was addressed by various religious scholars.

The event, however, left a bad taste in the mouth of devotees when brothers Shah Mahmood Qurershi and Mureed Hussain Qureshi exchanged words in the first session of the conference when Mureed Qureshi using the public address system, criticised Shah Mahmood Qureshi for using the shrine for political gains in Sindh.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi remained silent during his brother outburst whereas PTI MNA Amir Dogar kept requesting Mureed Qureshi to stop his speech.

Earlier, Mureed Qureshi slapped a devotee, Siddique, when he refused to handover water for ghusal to him. Siddique is reportedly the employee of Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Later on, Mureed Qureshi said the devotee was like his son.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he would pray for the happiness of his brother.

Also, the 167th Urs of Khwaja Shah Muhammad Suleman Taunsvi and Khwaja Nizamuddin Taunsvi began at Taunsa in Dera Ghazi Khan.

Caretaker Khwaja Attaullah Taunsvi and Khwaja Nassarul Mahmood Taunsvi performed the ‘ghusal’ ceremonies.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2017