Daily Times

Sindh government on Friday banned Taraweeh prayers during the holy month of Ramazan, heeding the advice of doctors who are urging the government to tighten its restrictions on mosque congregations.

Last week, the government ceded to pressure from religious leaders and eased restrictions on mosques in time for Ramazan, when congregations tend to swell in number.

“The Sindh government has decided people should offer Ramazan’s Taraweeh (evening) prayers at home,” Sindh’s Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said in a video message broadcast on local television stations on Friday. Shah said he was acting on the advice of doctors. “Our hospitals are overwhelmed with patient inflows; we don’t want our health system to collapse,” he said.

The chief minister said that he spoke to President Arif Alvi in this regard and received his nod for the decision. “The president said it is up to the provincial governments to decide according to their ground situation,” he added.

Shah said taking such ‘difficult decisions’ is government’s responsibility, adding that this decision was taken especially keeping in mind the doctors’ recommendations.

However, congregational Taraweeh prayers were held in at least 22 mosques in Karachi on Friday night in violation of Sindh government’s orders under which Taraweeh was restricted to three to five persons belong to the management of the mosque only. Reports said among the mosques where collective Friday and Taraweeh prayers took place, nine were in Malir district, five in South district, four in Korangi district, three in West district and one in East district. The violation prompted the administration and police authorities to identify the areas where the violations took place, which included wealthy neighbourhoods in the DHA and poor localities in Orangi Town, and send a report to higher authorities for possible action against the violators.

Meanwhile, a complete lockdown will be imposed across Sindh after 5pm during Ramazan. Businesses will be allowed to continue providing their services online from Monday to Thursday, 9am to 3pm. Bakeries will be open till 5pm. Only food deliveries have been exempted from the order and will be allowed to operate until 10pm. Shops and delivery services shall remain closed during sehri and residents will not be allowed to leave their houses.