HYDERABAD, July 11: Acting President and Senate Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro has directed that development projects for the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar be completed without delay.

During a visit to the shrine in Sehwan on Sunday, he said the shrine was among major projects initiated in the country. He was given a detailed briefing by officials in the shrine's courtyard on the projects.

Mr Soomro said completion of the projects was necessary to provide maximum facilities to devotees. The project director, Dr Alimuddin Billu, who is also the DCO of Dadu, informed Mr Soomro that the construction work was going on at full speed and it would be completed in four phases at a cost of Rs400 million.

He said work within the premises of the shrine had already been completed at a cost of Rs170 million and work on the Dhamal court was in progress. He said the ceiling of the ground floor of the court building had been completed at a cost of Rs7.5 million.

He said Rs70 million would be spent on the Dhamal court which would include marble floor, double-storey gallery, ablution place and an underground water tank. Taking notice of the slow pace of work, the senate chairman directed the National Construction Company to speed up the work and complete the project before the next Urs.

On a complaint of devotees, Mr Soomro asked the authorities concerned to ban smoking within the premises of the shrine and remove encroachments. Earlier, the acting president offered Fateha at the shrine. He also visited the shrine of Syed Sadaruddin alias Lakki Shah Saddar, offered Fateha and laid a chadar.