Kook Farid Kook

By Associate Press of Pakistan, "Urs of Ganj-e-Shakar from 24th" - The Post - Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Monday, December 22, 2008

Kook Farid Kook, Tu jivain Rakha Jawar
Jab lag tanda na, Giray tab lag Kook pukar."
Shout, Farid, shout like the watchful man in the corn-field*

Pakpattan: The 766th annual Urs celebrations of Sufi Saint Hazrat Baba Farid Uddin Masood popularly known as Ganj-e-Shakar will start from December 24 here.

A large number of devotees and followers of the sufi saint will participate in the urs of the spiritual leader of the sub-continent.

The district administration have finalised all necessary arrangements to facilitate the visiting pilgrims while the district police have made tight security arrangements to avoid any untoward incident during the urs.

DCO reviews security for Baba Farid's urs, Muharram: District Coordination Officer (DCO) Mian Zulfiqar Ahmed has directed to make adequate security arrangements to ensure protection of life and property of the people during the month of Muharramul Haram and annual urs of Hazrat Baba Farid Uddin Masood popularly known as Ganj-e-Shakar.

Presiding over a meeting here on Sunday to review the urs and security arrangements for Muharramul Harram, the DCO urged the Ulema and Khateebs to play their due role in maintaining peace, brotherhood and harmony during Muharram and also extend their cooperation to district administration and police in this regard.

He further directed TMAs to make arrangements of lights and cleanliness of the routes of Muharram processions and Majalis places.

Best possible arrangements made for Urs: Ehasan Uddin
The Punjab government is taking practical steps to provide basic facilities to the people of the province. Punjab Auqaf and Religious Affairs Minister Haji Ehsan Uddin Qureshi said this while talking to reporters here on Sunday.

He said that the government has taken various revolutionary measures to improve the working of public sectors departments including education and health. He further said that Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif believes in good governance in the province.

The minister said that certain elements are trying to disturb the political process in the country to achieve their personal interest, adding that they would never be succeeded in their nefarious design.

He said that all necessary arrangements are being made to facilitate the visitors of the shrine of Hazarat Baba Farid Uddin Masood on the occasion of his annual urs.

*Verses from The South Asian, 2001: Sufism - Wisdom against Violence, by Salman Saeed http://www.the-south-asian.com/April2001/Sufis-wisdom%20against%20violence3.htm

[Picture from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fariduddin_Ganjshakar].