Bulleh Shah’s Urs in Kasur: What I Saw on the Road That Night

Around 9 or 10pm, I went out with my family in Kasur during the ongoing Urs of Hazrat Bulleh Shah.

Around 9 or 10pm, I went out with my family in Kasur during the ongoing Urs of Hazrat Bulleh Shah. What I saw on the road left me with one uncomfortable question:

What are we showing the people who have come to Kasur from other cities?

The roads were crowded, but what stood out was not simply the crowd. Young boys were riding motorcycles with modified or removed silencers, creating extremely loud noise. There was unnecessary shouting and hooting, while some girls and women were being followed and made uncomfortable.

What confused me most was the presence of police and patrol teams across different points. They were there. They could see what was happening.

But why was there no action?

If people are openly breaking traffic rules, creating dangerous noise and disturbing others, what is the purpose of having officials deployed on the roads if nobody is going to stop them?

What Is the Role of Our Institutions?

This is not only about the behaviour of a few young people. It is also about the responsibility of our institutions. What are we paying public institutions and law-enforcement authorities to do? Their role should not simply be to stand on the roadside. Their role is to maintain order, enforce rules and protect citizens. At the same time, we also need to talk about basic civic responsibility.

People need to learn how to behave in public spaces, how to follow traffic rules, how to respect other people, how to protect their surroundings and why environmental responsibility and climate action matter. These are basic lessons of living in a society.

What Will Visitors Take Back From Kasur?

People are coming from different cities for Bulleh Shah’s Urs. They should be leaving with memories of Kasur’s culture, hospitality and the legacy of Bulleh Shah.

But if what they see is traffic disorder, excessive noise, irresponsible behaviour and officials watching without taking action, what impression will they take back?

Will they remember Bulleh Shah—or will they remember what happened on Kasur’s streets?

The Urs is not the problem. Celebration is not the problem. The real question is whether we are managing our city, educating our people and enforcing the rules properly.

Kasur has a great cultural legacy. It is time for its institutions, its administration and its citizens to show that they are worthy of it.