Lahore: Drug abuse around Shah Jamal: Pappu Saeen expelled from shrine

[Naveed Yaseen]

* UC nazim says Pappu will be allowed to resume performances only if he vows not to allow drug use

By Afnan Khan

LAHORE: Officials of the Auqaf Department have expelled famous drum player Pappu Saeen from the Baba Shah Jamal Shrine after a notable increase in the consumption of drugs in the surrounding area.

Pappu Saeen is famous worldwide for his ecstatic drum tunes and has performed in Britain, Germany, Switzerland and numerous other countries. He has developed a huge fan club across the globe and people from various segments of life used to enjoy his tunes at the shrine every Thursday. Foreigners with video cameras could also be seen during his performance. The renowned drummer has worked with numerous local bands in the past and has launched albums with them. He has won both local and international prizes, including the Sitara-e-Imtiaz. Residents of the area lodged numerous complaints against drug addicts who attended his performance every Thursday. They urged the concerned police officials and the union council representatives to take action against those involved in the business of drugs in the area. Residents reported a large number of drug addicts visited the area to listen to Pappu Saeen’s drum tunes and openly consumed hash and other drugs throughout the night. They alleged the shrine had become a safe haven for drug addicts.

Eradication of drugs: Union Council (UC) 94 Nazim Adil Rasheed said the Auqaf Department, in collaboration with the UC administration, reached the decision to expel Pappu Saeen from the shrine after receiving complaints from residents. He said Pappu Saeen would only be allowed to resume his performances inside the shrine if he took the responsibility of not allowing drugs inside the shrine. He said the administration was currently taking action against drug sellers in the area. After being expelled, Pappu has been performing outside the main courtyard of the shrine for the past couple of weeks. His fans have demonstrated their loyalty by gathering outside the shrine’s premises on the main road to listen to his tunes. Pappu told Daily Times he had nothing to do with the business of drugs, adding that he was only a drum player and a devotee of saints like Baba Shah Jamal and Bulleh Shah.

Expressing his love for simplicity, Pappu told Daily Times he still lived the life of a dervaish and performed his duty at the shrine as a loyal follower of the saints. “I do not have any other business nor do I want to have one, especially after performing overseas. People were willing to pay me as per my wishes in exchange for training of playing the dhol. I have spent my whole life at the shrine and I would die performing my duty here,” he said.

Bhamberi Saeen, a disciple of Pappu Saeen, said he had been dancing to Pappu’s drumbeats since the past 14 years. He said it was his religious duty to stay at the shrine but he hated the presence of drug sellers. He said all other performers were also principally against the business of drugs. “We hate those who visit the shrine to corrupt innocent minds. We are strictly against the philosophy of selling drugs to the youth in the name of mysticism, as the stories we have heard about these mystics are completely different from what we perceive,” he said. He said all devotees wanted the government to allow Pappu to resume his performance in the shrine’s courtyard but they also wanted to eradicate the shrine of drugs.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg13_1