Bhitai’s Urs begins

SUKKUR: The 272nd Urs of the Sufi poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, began in Bhitshah town of district Matiari on Friday.
The Urs ceremony was inaugurated by Special Assistant to Sindh Chief Minister on Auqaf and Religious Affairs Dr Abdul Qayoom Soomro.
Dr Soomro laid floral wreaths and offered Fateha at the Mazar of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. An international literary conference, traditional Sindhi wrestling “Malakhra”, horse and cattle race, and an agro-industrial exhibition are some of the highlights of the three-day Urs.Thousands of devotees have arrived at Bhitshah to pay homage to the great mystic poet.
Reports said that after 15 minutes of the inaugural of the Urs by the special assistant to the CM, the minister for culture and tourism, Sharmila Farooqui, also arrived at the Mazar where she laid a floral wreath. Sources said that the two dignitaries were scheduled to inaugurate the Urs ceremony together, but the plan was changed at the last moment.