KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly was on Friday informed that in addition to provision of other facilities the provincial government had taken security arrangements at as many as 27 shrines in the city under the administrative control of the Auqaf, Zakat and Ushr Department.

Furnishing a statement and replies of the lawmakers` written and verbal queries during Question Hour, Auqaf Minister Riaz Hussain Shah Sheerazi said that the Auqaf Department was providing the shrines not only the facilitiesof drinking water, washrooms, etc, but it also ensured security arrangements included CCTV system and walkthrough gates.

The shrines of Abdullah Shah Ghazi in Clifton, Alam Shah Bukhari at Jama Cloth Market, Noor Ali Shah at Teen Hatti, Pir Ghaib Shah at Keamari, Misri Shah Ghazi in Clifton, Sakhi Sultan at Kalapul, Yousuf Baloch alias Kunday Shah in Korangi, Muhammad Shah Doola Subzwari in Kharadar, Pir Jumman Shah in Garden, Syed Ali Sarmast in Mauripur, Sakhi Sultan in Manghopir, Chuttan Shah in Kharadar, Bibi Miran Pir at Lea Market, Mehmood Shah in Azizabad, Bai Satti Memon atMemon Goth Malir, Bachal Shah at Guru Mandar and Masoom Shah are among the shrines under the control of the Auqaf department.

To a question by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan member Quratul Ain, the minister said that there were no reports of kidnapping of children at the shrines, adding that the security was the job of police.

When asked by the MQM-P member Bilgees Mukhtar as to why the endowment offerings were not used for the accommodation of the employees of the department, he said that the department spent the money where it was needed.Another lawmaker of the same party, Fouzia Hameed pointed out that the drug addicts were there at the shrines where sanitation issues also persisted.

The minister said adequate measures were taken to ensure cleanliness at the dargahs, while the caretakers of shrines also get the cleaning work done.

Another MQM-P member Shariq Jamal drew the attention of the Auqaf minister to pickpocketing at the shrines.

The minister said that strict security arrangements were in place at the shrines under the control of Auqaf Department.

Later, Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed adjourned the house to Monday.