ISLAMABAD, Oct 22: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Noorpur Shahan chapter has sent a letter to President Asif Ali Zardari stating that the sanctity of Bari Imam Shrine is being violated in the name of its remodelling.

The local leadership of the party said during the course of remodelling, the land around the tomb of the saint, Shah Abdul Latif Kazmi commonly known as Bari Imam, has been raised and there was a plan to construct new grave in place of the existing one.

“The grave of Bari Imam is a source of great relief for his followers and any change in it could trigger a law and order situation in the federal capital,” said the chairman of the PPP Noorpur Shahan chapter, Wasif Abbas. He demanded that the president and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani should dissolve the management committee of the shrine and form a new one to run its affairs and oversee the remodelling project.

The PPP local leaders said the committee had no representation of the locals.

They said Bari Imam House was the biggest encroachment in the area as it had been constructed over 100 kanals. “The so-called custodian of the shrine has been occupying the land (Bari Imam House) since 1978, when the first committee for construction of the shrine was formed,” they said.

They said the Prime Minister Secretariat had also taken notice in 1996 of this illegal use of the property but no practical action was taken.

The remodelling of the shrine has been taking place for the last many years at a cost of over Rs600 million.