Tablighi Jamaat to hold congregation in two phases because of pandemic

After they drew criticism last year for organising a grand event during the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisers of the annual congregation of the Tablighi Jamaat have decided to hold their annual congregation in Karachi in two phases in order to split the number of participants.

The annual congregation is set to start in the Orangi Town area on February 4. It will continue till Feb 8. Due to the pandemic situation, elders of the Tablighi Jamaat recently took the decision to organise the event in two phases. It was also decided that the government’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) and instructions would be followed during the congregation, The News has learnt.

From one mosque, only 12 people will be allowed to attend the congregation and their registration has been completed, a religious leader who is familiar with the Tablighi Jamaat’s affairs told The News. “Once a participant entered the site of the congregation, they would remain inside the event till the end.” In normal years, 50 to 100 people on average from one mosque used to attend the congregation, he explained.

Two phases

According to the plan, the first phase of the congregation will start on Asr of February 4 and continue till February 6 morning.

In that phase, residents from 48 specified neighborhoods of the city, including FB Area, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Sohrab Goth, Mehmoodabad, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Baldia Town, Frontier Colony, Ittehad Town, Orangi Town and Manghopir, will attend the event. Residents of the neighbouring and coastal areas of Balochistan such as Hub, Gwadar, Turbat and Awaran will also attend the congregation in the first phase.

The event’s second phase will start on the evening of February 6 and continue till February 8 morning. Residents of Nazimabad, Liaquatabad, Landhi, Korangi, Shah Faisal Colony, Malir, Gadap, Defence, Lyari, Saddar, and other areas will attend the congregation in the second phase. Residents of districts of Sindh close to Karachi such as Thatta, Badin

and Jamshoro will attend the congregation in the second phase.

Minister’s visit

On Sunday, the Sindh minister for information, local government and religious affairs, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, visited the Tablighi Jamaat’s congregation site to inspect the preparations for the event. The venue’s administrator, Maulana Abdul Wahab, accompanied Shah during the visit and informed him about their arrangements.

Shah advised the organisers to adhere to the SOPs in order to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus during the proceedings of the event. “The Sindh government will fully facilitate holding of the annual Tablighi congregation and provide utmost assistance to them,” he said. “The relevant authorities would take steps for water supply and disposal of waste at the congregation venue.”

Shah maintained that the district administration would adopt a foolproof plan to secure the venue of the congregation. He also ordered officials to construct a road from Naya Nazimabad to the congregation site to facilitate commute. The minister assured the management of the congregation that encroachments would be removed near the entrance of the site.

Under criticism

Each year, the Tablighi Jamaat holds a massive annual gathering in the outskirts of Lahore. Last year, an estimated 250,000 men converged there on March 11, despite warnings from the Punjab government as Covid-19 had started to spread in the country.

The congregation was stopped the next day but for that rain was declared as the reason. By March 29, 27 members of the Tablighi Jamaat had tested positive for Covid-19, according to media reports.

As many of them arrived in Sindh from Lahore, several hundreds of Tablighi Jamaat members comprising Pakistanis and foreign nationals were sent from different areas of the province to Yousuf Masjid in Sukkur that was declared a quarantine centre on March 27.

In Malaysia and India as well, the Tablighi Jamaat faced criticism last year as it was blamed for acceleration in the spread of Covid-19.