976th annual Urs of Data Gunj Bakhsh begins on Friday.

LAHORE -- The 976th annual three-day Urs celebrations of Hazrat Ali Bin Usman Alhajveri popularly known as Data Gunj Bakhsh will start at his shrine here on Friday (tomorrow).

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar and Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar will inaugurate the Urs celebrations while performing traditional chador on the grave of the great Sufi saint. Punjab Minister for Auqaf Pir Syed Saeedul Hassain Shah, ministers, MNAs, MPAs, Auqaf secretary and other officials and a large number of devotees will also present on the occasion.

Sources said that Auqaf Department had allocated Rs 10 million for holding the Urs celebrations and lunger in the best manner. About 500 Mashaikh, religious scholars and Na'at Khawans had been invited for spiritual Mahafils. Also 200 spiritual leaders from Pakistan and India are participating in the Urs.

Regarding security arrangements, the minister said that 103 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras had been...