SAHIWAL, Nov 13: More than 20 people were injured when the police and security personnel at the shrine of Hazrat Baba Farid Ganjshakar baton-charged them in a bid to prevent a stampede at `Bahishti Darwaza`.

Devotees from all over the country flocked to the shrine to pay homage to the saint of the Chishtlya order on his annual Urs.

During the last two days, hundreds of thousands of devotees crossed `Bahishti Darwaza` which is opened on the evening of 5th of Muharram after Isha prayers.

The police and local administration erect iron fences inside and outside the shrine.Visitors in long queues wish to go pass `Bahisti Darwaza` as an age-oldritual, which often leads to uproar and stampede.

It is learnt that devotees got annoyed when some policemen facilitated their acquaintances to cross `Bahishti Darwaza` ahead of many others waiting for hours. As some of the devotees crossed over to the `VIP queue`, the police sprang into action and batoncharged the crowd. More than 20 devotees suffered injuries in the ensuing melee.

Rescue 1122 and health department personnel provided first-aid to the injured and eight of them were later shifted to Pakpattan`s District Headquarters Hospital in a serious condition.

Senior police officers placated the crowd after some time.

`There was fear of stampede,claimed a police official.

The injured were: Mustafa, Ghulam Muhammad and Allah Yar (belonging to Chishtian), Muhammad Nazir (of 54/EB, Arifwala), Muhammad Shafi (Peshawar), Waseem and Shan (Khanewal), Muhammad Saeed (Chichawatni), Mushtaq and Nawazish Ali (Faisalabad), Ibrahim (Karachi), Muhammad Arshad (Sargodha), Hameed, Mukhtar and Nadeem (Attock), Tanvir (Jhang), Ghulam Rasool (Haroonabad), Falaksher (Ahmadabad), Malik Bashir, Amaan, Faqir, Haji Sher and Muhammad Amir (Pakpattan). A Rescue 1122 official claimed it had treated 80 people for minor injuries during the last two to three days.