19 Feb Holiday in Sindh Notification for Urs Celebrations

The Sindh government has announced a public holiday on February 19 to coincide with the annual Urs celebrations of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, with all public and private offices, including the Sindh High Court and its subordinate courts, to be closed on the day, except for essential services.

The 773rd Urs celebrations of Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar began in Sehwan, Sindh, with acting Governor and Sindh Assembly Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah inaugurating the festivities. The event featured a range of cultural activities, including a handicrafts exhibition showcasing Sindhi handicrafts, folk music, and a traditional gathering of rural people called a sughar katchery.

Two special trains will operate to facilitate disciples of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar on his annual Urs at Sehwan Sharif. The event was attended by thousands of devotees, with the acting governor expressing hope for peaceful celebrations and urging the prime minister to convene the Council of Common Interests. Deputy Commissioner Jamshoro Ghazanfar Ali Qadri visited medical camps set up for devotees during the annual Urs of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar at Sehwan.

The medical camps were established by the Health Department, PPHI, and Syed Abdullah Shah Medical Institute to provide free medical facilities to devotees. The DC directed officials to ensure the availability of essential medicines, doctors, and paramedical staff, and also reviewed security arrangements to ensure the safety of devotees, with 32 medical camps established to provide medical facilities free of cost.