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FWP:
SRF includes such 'opening-verses' because of their formal role in the oral performance of the ghazal. They're like 'establishing shots' in films that introduce the viewing audience to the setting, atmosphere, etc. of the action to come. Opening-verses lay down the parameters that enable the mushairah audience to tell what's coming next. In terms of formal structure, they give perfect information: the audience can tell with entire accuracy how much of each line from then on will be part of the rhyme, and how much will be part of the refrain. Of course they give perfect metrical information as well, but then any verse does that-- and usually even any single line, though it's not uncommon for a single line to be readable in two similar but different meters.
Do they give any further information? Perhaps they give some hint of mood or atmosphere that might (or more often might not) be followed up in later verses. But then, to the (usually almost nonexistent) extent that this can be done, any regular verse does it just as well. If anything, any regular verse usually does it better. For the opening-verse's special formal structure (with the rhyming elements having to be incorporated twice) makes it harder to manipulate, and so less likely to convey subtleties. This very difficulty is why it's a flashy show of skill to include two opening-verses in a row (or even three) at the beginning of a ghazal.
A skilful and talented poet-- not to speak of truly great ones like Mir and Ghalib-- can often overcome the structural limitations of an opening-verse. But more often the poet doesn't do so (or doesn't bother to do so?). As in this case-- for this is the first verse SRF has presented about which he's had absolutely nothing to say. In fact, I can't think of anything to say either.
Other opening-verses that SRF includes only 'by way of introduction': {85,1}; {760,1}; {1076,1}; {1098,1}; {1579,1}