LAHORE: The 983rd annual ‘ghusal’ ceremony of the shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Ali Bin Usman Al-Hajveri (RA), widely known as Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh, was observed with great religious devotion and reverence here on Thursday.

The traditional ghusal of the shrine was performed with rosewater, accompanied by Chadar Poshi and the laying of floral wreaths. Special prayers were offered for the peace, prosperity and stability of Pakistan.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar attended the ceremony along with provincial ministers Khawaja Salman Rafique, Bilal Yaseen and Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, as well as Special Assistant Ali Dar.

A large number of devotees attended the annual ceremony while authorities ensured exemplary security and facilitation arrangements for visitors.

According to the Punjab Home Department spokesperson, walk-through gates were installed at all entry points of the shrine, while continuous monitoring was maintained through an extensive security system.

The spokesperson said that the premises of the shrine were being monitored round-the-clock through CCTV cameras. Female police personnel were also deployed to facilitate and provide security to women devotees. Parking arrangements were made at a secure distance from the shrine to ensure smooth movement and effective crowd management. Fire brigade teams, Bomb Disposal Squad personnel, Rescue 1122 ambulances, and medical staff remained on duty throughout the event.

Teams of the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) were also deployed at the distribution points of ‘langar’ and sabeel to ensure food quality and hygiene standards for devotees.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2026