The manager of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’s shrine in Sehwan has been suspended over theft of gold offerings to Sufi shrine. A spokesperson of the Sindh Auqaf department has said that the shrine’s manager Zubair Baloch has been suspended and a case has been registered in Jamshoro against him and an absconding employee, Ali Raza Gopang. Sindh Auqaf department has also written a letter for recovery and legal action against accused shrine manager Zubair Baloch. “Zubair Baloch in connivance with Ali Raza Gopang misappropriated offerings to the shrine and stolen gold,” FIR read. Caretaker Sindh Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs Mohammad Umer Soomro has said that accused Zubair Baloch has been suspended, while his salary and pension have been seized.

The shocking theft was surfaced on Friday as caretaker minister of Auqaf, Umar Soomro, dismissed the manager of the shrine, Zubair Baloch, and directed the authorities to register a robbery case against him. According to the Auqaf department, the gold worth Rs 12.37 million was stolen from the offering box of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’s shrine in the past month. The Minister of Auqaf spokesperson revealed that the manager, Zubair Baloch, confessed to the robbery in front of the inquiry committee.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)