Pakistani Sheedis, whose ancestors came from Africa and are drawn from various Muslim sects, were considered potential target for hardline militants who wanted to impose their strict interpretation of Islam on others.
The shrine is a place of worship, people come to pray with a wish or mannat. The community believes the crocodiles living in the shrine’s pond are the disciples of saints. But due to the recent attacks , the care taker reported a decline in the number of worshipers. however , drought days seem to be over for an 87-year-old crocodile venerated by Pakistan’s tiny Sheedi community, as pilgrims once again flock to a shrine in Karachi that has been shunned for years amid fears of Taliban attacks.
The Taliban retrieved confidence coincides with a major crackdown on crime and militancy by paramilitary Rangers in the southern port city of 20 million people where the shrine is located, which has seen murder levels take a surprisingly sharp drop
The Pakistani military has also been carrying many significant offensives against the Taliban in the northwest provinces of the country since 2014 and its want of militants caught up pace following the massacre of Peshawar school children in December. Elders revive their memories and tell tales of the Taliban held strength and how the police were too afraid of them,
But say that eversince the Rangers and police operation In Karachi , people have started to return assuring themselves of safety. The shrine had a silent reopening in 2011, but only a handful of worshippers dared to come. Eventually, developing security meant 100 people might turn up on a busy day last year. Now crowds of more than 1,000 flock to the shrine several days each week.
Militant attacks across the nuclear-armed nation of 190 million people have fallen by around 70 percent this year. Which is major achievement as a result to the operations conducted for the eradication of the Taliban.
The fall in violence has also uplifted Sheedi community hopes of celebrating their annual four-day festival before the end of the year. It has been cancelled for the last five years fearing retaliation and attacks
At the autumn celebration, four Sheedi communities sacrifice goats and dance to a drum beat before the crocodiles, which are showered with rose petals and anointed with perfume and saffron.
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