Srinagar, Aug 10: There is no security in place at the Naqshband Sahab (RA) shrine here, located just 500 meters away from recently gutted Dastgeer Sahab (RA) shrine. This is despite spurt in mysterious fire incidents at famous shrines and mosques over the past few weeks across Kashmir valley. Curiously, police personnel who used to guard the main gate until recently have left the shrine.
Only a week ago, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reviewed security arrangements for shrines during 16th meeting of Board of Directors of Muslim Waqf Board and instructed for installation of fireproof strong rooms to protect holy relics.
This correspondent visited the shrine at 4.30 pm Friday and there were no security personnel. “Before the gutting of Dastgeer Sahab (RA) shrine, police personnel used to guard the main gate (Khawaja Bazar side) during the nights, but now they are not doing so,” said a Waqf Board employee posted at the shrine.
“At the back side, they have a guard room but they do not come to this side,” added the Waqf employee.
Other than the main gate from Khawaja Bazar side, there is one more gate and that too is not being manned by anybody. “Anyone can enter into the premises of the shrine and we can’t check him or her. We cannot stop anybody, it is the job of police,” said the employee.
Abdul Rashid, a resident of Khawaja Bazar, said that after the gutting of Dastgeer Sahab (RA) shrine they were expecting that there would be round the clock patrolling around this shrine as it has no concrete fencing.

BACKGROUND:
The shrine located in Nowhatta area of old Srinagar is named after the well known Bukhara mystic, Khawaja Syed Baha-u-Deen Naqshband. It is on the road between the Dastageer Sahab (RA) shrine and central Jamia Masjid. Part of its compound was converted into Martyrs’ Graveyard in 1931. The market in the vicinity is named after the shrine as Khawaja Bazar.

RECENT FIRE INCIDENTS AT SHRINES, MOSQUES:
The most revered, two-century old shrine of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RA), popularly known as Dastgeer Sahab, was gutted in a mysterious fire on June 25. Valley wide protests were held against this incident.
Three days later, there were reports about desecration of religious books and burning of Alam Sharief near an Imam Barah at Gund Hassibat, in the outskirts of Srinagar. There were also reports that some miscreants had tried to set on fire a shrine and a mosque.
In another incident, a shrine of a revered Sufi saint was gutted in a mysterious fire at Ratsuna village of central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
The shrine of Hazrat Syed Sahab at Konibal Awantipora in south Kashmir was partially damaged. During the same night, there were also reports that some miscreants had tried to set on fire a shrine in Tral.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 10 Aug 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 10 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 11 Aug 2012 00:00:00 IST