SHAH JIWANA, Pakistan, May 29, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Rhythmic drums and spirited
dancing are once again bringing life to the shrines of Pakistan's saints,
where festivals were long stifled by jihadist violence.

As the harvest season ends and schools finish for the summer, villagers climb
atop tractor trolleys, buses and rickshaws to head to the annual celebrations
at Sufi shrines dotted across the country.

"Those who cannot meet during the rest of the year reunite at the fair," said
Muhammad Nawaz, a farmer from Punjab province at the annual "mela" to honour
saint Shah Jiwana in Jhang city in May.

"These fairs and Punjab's culture share a profound connection, one of love
and brotherhood."

Fairgrounds, musicians, traditional wrestlers and motorcycle acrobats delight
pilgrims lit by lanterns of all colours -- but always under the watchful eye
of hundreds of police officers.

Centuries-old Sufi orders across the Islamic world have millions of
followers, from Turkey to South Asia, and their beliefs are rooted in
mysticism and a devotion to saints.

Many orthodox hardliners consider Sufi beliefs heretical, however, and Sunni
militant groups such as the Pakistani Taliban and Islamic State have carried
out bloody attacks at shrines and festivals.

In Pakistan, the attacks led authorities to ban festivals or limit their
activities until recently.

"The goal was to avoid risking public lives," said Alloudin Mehmood, a
government official at Bari Imam shrine in Islamabad, targeted by a 2005
suicide bombing that killed 19 people.

Security has dramatically improved after several military operations,
allowing celebrations to slowly return.

"Only after receiving security clearance was the festival permitted last
year, ending a 16-year hiatus," Mehmood added.

The event was shortened from five days to three, with mobile phone signals
suspended for security reasons.

- 'Culture is resilient' -

The landscape of rural Pakistan is adorned with thousands of Sufi shrines,
varying in size from grand edifices to modest structures, each steeped in a
tapestry of associated legends.

"There are cities which emerged around these shrines and melas", said
Pakistani author and anthropologist Haroon Khalid.

Particularly in Punjab and Sindh, saints, commonly referred to as "Pirs," are
revered and miracles attributed to their spiritual presence.

"These shrines have endured threats and persecution," said anthropologist and
author Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro.

"Culture always has a remarkable resilience, capable of absorbing shocks and
persevering through challenging times."

The annual celebrations commemorate the anniversaries of a saint's death and
symbolise the spiritual union between devotees and the divine.

"Pilgrims find solace, healing, release and entertainment at these events
that celebrate the 'friends of God'," said Carl W. Ernst, who has authored
several books on Sufism.

Sufism has inspired some of Pakistan's most beloved artists, writers and
musicians.

Sufi shrines often attract marginalised groups, including transgender women
and drug addicts.

"We are never as well-received as at festivals," Khusbhoo, a transgender
woman, told AFP.

- Come to the fair -

At the Shah Jiwana shrine, devotion gives way to entertainment in the late
afternoon.

A juice seller belts out a famous Punjabi song: "Forget about your
responsibilities for a while; let's head to the fair instead."

Thousands turn to the fields to witness traditional games such as Kabaddi, a
rough contact sport where opponents slap each other around the face, and tent
pegging, a more graceful display of horsemanship.

Against the neon background of the fairgrounds, 16-year-old stunt girl Fatima
Noor prepares her motorbike.

Defying both gravity and social taboos, she circles the "wall of death" to
the amazement of the crowd -- a chance to earn some money for her family.

"These fairs must be held, because we do not have any other employment
opportunities," she said.

Eighteen-year-old Hamid Ijaz delighted in the celebrations, disrupted for
much of his childhood.

"Because of how widespread hate and sectarianism are in our country, it's
crucial to organise events like these where people can come together and
foster love," he told AFP.