PTI lawmakers meet Mufti Naeem to discuss strategy for congregational prayers during Ramazan

A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf delegation led by its Karachi President Khurrum Sher Zaman on Saturday met Mufti Muhammad Naeem, principal of Jamia Binoria Al-Alamia, to discuss a strategy for congregational prayers and Taraweeh during Ramadan.

Naeem and Zaman appreciated the federal government’s efforts to build consensus and form a plan for congregational prayers and Taraweeh. They also lauded the meeting of Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi with religious scholars in Islamabad.

Zaman, who is also an MPA from Karachi, said that the Sindh government wanted to create chaos by imposing decisions on religious scholars without taking them on board. “They violate social distancing and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) within their own rank,” he said.

He said mosques should remain open for the public in Ramadan for prayers. And the Sindh government should prepare SOPs for religious congregations for mosques too.

The PTI lawmaker urged the provincial government to install sanitiser walk through gates outside mosques and to waive off the bills of mosques and seminaries during the lockdown. The government should ensure ration distribution to the madrasas immediately, he said.

The religious scholar said that after the government and scholars agreed with consensus on taking all preventive measures for congregational prayers during Ramazan, it became imperative for the people to follow them.

He said that the Sindh government did not consider the employees of madrasas, moazan and imams of mosques in ration distribution schemes. “They are white-collar workers and can not stand in long queues for ration,” Naeem said.

PTI MPA Raja Azhar and other leaders, including Imran Siddiqui, Saddam Kunbher, Toqeer Ahmed, were present during the meeting.