HYDERABAD, July 11: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that repair, renovation and expansion work of shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar will be completed by September. The project is designed to restore dome of Qalandar in its original shape with qualitative work so that it should be sustainable for years to come.

He said the expansion work includes a park and parking area and construction of a courtyard for dhamal. He was talking to journalists after laying floral wreaths at the shrine to mark closing of three-day 760th Urs of Qalandar on Wednesday.

Provincial Information Minister Sharjil Inam Memon, Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Auqaf Minister Dr. Rafique Bhaban, Minister for Minority Affairs Mohan Lal Kohistani, Minister for Rural Development Zubair Ahmed, Special Assistant to CM Siddique Abubhai, MPAs Dr.Sikandar Shoro and Waseem Hussain, Chief Secretary Raja Mohammad Abbas, Commissioner Hyderabad Ahmed Bux Narejo, Deputy Commissioner Jamshoro Agha Sohail Pathan, local party leaders and officers accompanied him.

To a question, he said late Z.A.Bhutto was follower of Qalandar Lal Shahbaz, who had installed golden gate at the shrine to pay homage to him. Likewise, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto was his devotee and follower and party’s co-chairman and President Asif Ali Zardari is also his devotee.

He said repair, renovation and expansion work of the shrine had started during the second regime of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto which was now being completed by the president. He said the president was taking keen interest in development work of the shrine and Sehwan city.

He agreed with a questioner that shrine’s development work had delayed but hastened to add that since it was a sensitive work, efforts were being made to restore dome in its original shape with qualitative work that’s why it took time.

He said that compensation was being paid to owners of houses which were acquired for expansion of the shrine as per existing market value. In addition to compensation, plots would also be given to owners of houses for resettlement.

About rise in water level in Nai Gaj, he said that he had directed the Divisional Commissioner, the DC concerned and the relief authorities to visit area and keep a vigil to ensure relief to people in case they were affected. Besides, he said, precautionary measures had been adopted to meet any eventuality during current monsoon season. He said that Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf had come to serve people, nation and the country as per constitutional requirement.

Earlier, he was briefed about the on-going development work of shrine and took a round to inspect quality of material.

Later, he distributed clothes among poor women in courtyard of shrine and visited free medical camp, established by Sindh People’s Student Federation (SPSF) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) outside the shrine.