KHAIRPUR, Sept 14: The shrine of Sufi saint-poet Sachal Sarmast is decaying as no repair and development work — except the painting of walls — has been carried out to preserve the site revered by many.

Saleem Ahmed Soomro, the secretary of Sakhi Qabool Mohammad, the Sajjada Nasheen of the shrine, has said this on the eve of 187th Urs of Sachal Sarmast.

He said no proper arrangement had been made by the Auqaf department or by the Sachal Yadgar Committee for the people likely to visit the shrine during the three-day Urs.

He said the Sajjada Nasheen was neither consulted nor invited in any meeting of the committee and was never asked for any suggestions regarding arrangements of the Urs celebrations.

The district administration of Khairpur had completely ignored Sakhi Qabool Mohammad regarding the Urs celebrations, he added.

He said there would be problems like of drinking water as experienced in the past but the administration was not ready to address these issues.

Sakhi Qabool Mohammad could not be contacted despite repeated attempts of this correspondent.

Meanwhile, the followers of Sachal and of different Sufic traditions have started assembling in Daraza, a small village near here, from various parts of Sindh and have begun different Sufi rites and rituals under the shadows of trees near the shrine.