LAHORE: A three-day, 983rd Urs celebrations of Hazrat Ali Hajveri, popularly known as Data Ganj Bakhsh, will begin today (August 2) under tight security and administrative arrangements.
The Commissioner of Lahore, Nauman Yousaf, inspected the shrine’s entry and exit points on Saturday and chaired a review meeting to finalise operations, including Safe City camera surveillance, round-the-clock sanitation, and full medical coverage for the hundreds of thousands of devotees expected to visit the shrine.
During the visit, the commissioner inspected the surrounding areas of Data Darbar, with a specific focus on the under-construction area. The Deputy Commissioner of Lahore, Captain Ali Ejaz (Retd), the administrator of Data Darbar, and senior officers from the district administration accompanied the commissioner during the inspection.
On this occasion, the commissioner issued directives to ensure safety and security of the under-construction areas.
Subsequently, a review meeting was held at the Data Darbar Complex, in which the Lahore district administration and the administrator of Data Darbar provided a briefing on the arrangements.
It was stated that events such as Mahafil-e-Samaa (Qawwali), Chador Poshi ceremony, art gallery exhibitions, and special prayer ceremonies would take place during the Urs.
The officials also said that a “Clinic on Wheels”, medical camps, rescue help desks, and ambulances would be strategically stationed at designated points around the venue.
The commissioner said that the highest standards of cleanliness must be maintained at the shrine, along with all surrounding areas and approach routes for the arriving devotees.
He said that teams from Suthra Punjab, WASA, and MCL must remain present on the site to ensure round-the-clock sanitation and cleaning operations.
He also stated that a comprehensive route guidance was indispensable for the devotees visiting Data Sahib.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026