SAHIWAL: Two high ranked officers have found themselves in the cross hairs of a controversy in Pakpattan.

Sources say the officers – the Sahiwal commissioner and the Pakpattan district police officer (DPO) – faced the wrath of one of the caretakers of Baba Farid shrine for passing ‘Bahishti Darwaza’ or the door to paradise, on the eve of Muharram 9, in violation of, what they call centuries-old code. The code is that no woman can open and cross the sacred passage, while in this case the two officers, who happened to be women, crossed the passage.

Sahiwal Commissioner Dr Farah Masood and DPO Mariya Mahmood were invited to the shrine as guests of honour by the caretaker Dewan family for opening the door.

Dewan Azmat Saeed, father–in-law of the caretaker, demanded the transfer of both officers.

Hundreds of devotees cross the door during the annual urs of the saint for five nights beginning from Muharram 5. The keys of the door locks have been with the Dewan family for the last seven decades.

As per traditions, the door is opened for the first two nights by the caretaker of the shrine. The third night is reserved for any provincial or federal minister, fourth night for the commissioner/regional police officer and the last night for the local deputy commissioner or the district police officer.

Sources said on the fourth night, Commissioner Dr Farah was invited for the opening of the door. She was accompanied by DPO Ms Mahmood, who was also urs security in charge.

Dawn learned the commissioner unlocked both locks of the Bahishti Darwaza and passed through it. After offering fateha at the shrine, she came out of the shrine from another sacred passage called Noori Darwaza.

During this, Pir Nasir Chishti from the caretaker family objected to the crossing of the passage by two women. He even argued with the commissioner and the DPO for violating the centuries-old code.

The Dewans say that even deceased prime minister Benazir Bhutto was not allowed to cross the Bahishti Darwaza during her visit to the shrine in the 90s.

The violation of the code by the women officers infuriated the devotees at the scene.

Shrine caretaker Dewan Ahmed Madood Chishti and his father Dewan Madood Masood Chishti had to interfere and they appealed to the devotees to calm down.

It is learnt that Dewan Ahmed Madood ordered the closure of the Bahishti Darwaza for 40 minutes and later he himself first locked and then reopened the door.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2018