A wildly spread spike of COVID-19 is in the offing as the Pakistan government has almost completely failed to ensure any kind of lockdown, smart or partial. Markets are overcrowded and same is the case with mosques. SOPs agreed on with the religious and business leadership have proved to be piece of trash. No or quite thin implementation of the SOPs serves no objective at all. Screening of prospect infected ones has increased a bit but not according to the need and expectation of the stakeholders despite generous donations from the international community and charity by the Pakistani businesses, expats and the common people at home. Doctors are still crying for personal protection kits and strict lockdown to the deaf ears all around.
No one in the Pakistan government and in the public is ready to listen the silently increasing noise of the disaster while the other nation states are striving hard to save their citizens from the infection of Covid-19 with strict measure. Decision makers in the Pakistan government are still confused despite witnessing the Covid-19 disaster in other countries. Every step is being taken to avoid the spread of the virus by complete and strict lockdown, social distancing, having precautionary measures and by the use of disinfectants. Every public place has been shut down including the places of worship all around the globe. Even the doors of the holy khana Ka’aba are still closed to all the faithful for months now. They won’t be opened in the near future too. The Saudi government has shown their fears that they may not be able to open Khana Ka’aba for umra even in the moth of Holy Ramazanul Mubarak or it may not open for Hajj too.
All the Muslim states have taken very rational decision asking their citizens to offer their prayers, Friday congregations and traveeh at their homes during the Ramazanul Mubarak just to be safe than sorry. Their religious leadership has accepted it without hesitation. Not a single dissenting voice is heard against the decision of their respective governments. Same is the case with the non-Muslim worship places that have been converted into quarantines or to the temporary hospitals. The administrations of these places are helping in taking care of the victims of the virus contrary to the management committees of the mosques and imam bargahs. Please update me if you have any evidence of mosques and imam bargahs converted into quarantines or hospitals.
Every thinking mind termed it as a perfect recipe for the spread of the coronavirus because of the fact that the guidelines and instruction would not be observed rationally and everyone would be cutting a sorry figure
Despite crossing the figures of 14,000 Corona infections and counting on, traders and mosques are not observing the SOPs agreed on. In case of wild spread who will be responsible for the decision taken under the leadership of President Arif Alvi to open the mosques, and the decision of conditional opening of shops by the federal and provincial government.
More than 350,000 mosques and hundreds of thousands shops and vendor carts are the ticking bombs of Covid-19 that are being run without any precautionary measures. Who will be punish whom for the failure of the 20-point declaration that was approved and released by President Alvi?
Just to recall, all the parties agreed to have no carpets in mosques and imam bargahs and people would be encouraged to bring their own prayer mats. Social distancing would be observed. People would be advised to refrain from gathering in groups and discussions in mosques. Mosques which have compounds would hold prayers outside rather than inside the building. Elderly and sick people would not come to mosques. Taraweeh preparations would be made only in mosque premises, not on roads. People would be encouraged to offer Taraweeh at home. Mosque floors would be washed with chlorine disinfectants. Prayer mats would also be disinfected with chlorine mixture. Congregational rows would be formed with a 6ft distance between worshippers. Committees would be formed to ensure preventive steps are followed. Ablution should be performed at home. It would be necessary to wear masks at mosques. No handshakes or hugs would be allowed. Worshippers would refrain from touching their faces. People would be encouraged to perform aitekaf at home. No preparations for sehri and iftaari would be made in mosques. Mosque administration would remain in contact with local police and cooperate with them. Mosque administration and police would be asked to ensure social distancing is maintained during prayers.
Strangely, no one else in the Muslim or non-Muslim world could show off the kind of wisdom so far as shown by the Pakistani ulema and government to develop a framework congregation prayers. Expectations have failed to see the 20-pont agenda’s implementation in letter and spirit. It shows we are still an impulsively reactive herd than a sane bunch of citizens or a nation. We did it again in good faith but unforeseen would be visible soon. God forbid. Quite irrationally violation of every framework imposed in the country, and out-lawing every bit of law is the proud privilege of people of the land. So, it is not unexpected if the traders and religious leaders have failed to comply with the SOPs agreed on.
Every thinking mind termed it as a perfect recipe for the spread of the coronavirus because of the fact that the guidelines and instruction would not be observed rationally and everyone would be cutting a sorry figure. The sane ones believed that it would be too late for the remedial measures then. We fear the same disaster now while it is becoming visible gradually. Yet we need decisive move immediately to avoid the possible brunt of Covid-19.
The writer is the Director Devcom-Pakistan, an Islamabad-based policy advocacy, strategic communication and outreach think tank. Email: [email protected], Twitter: @EmmayeSyed