KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has issued notices to Sindh chief secretary, Sindh Home Department, Sindh IGP Mushtaq Mahar and other concerned officials over a plea challenging the ban on Youm-e-Ali processions in the metropolis.
A two-member bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed, was hearing the plea.
Justice Mazhar asked from the additional advocate general whether any standard operating procedures (SOPs) were devised for the processions. The Additional advocate general replied that the center had defined the SOPs for mosques but he did not know about any for the processions.
Justice Mazhar further remarked “Religious scholars from all schools of thoughts should have been invited to the meeting with the president of Pakistan [to formulate the SOPs for the procession].”
The court instructed the petitioner to provide a copy of the petition to the state prosecutor and wait for the reply of the provincial government.
The court issued notices to Sindh chief secretary, Sindh Home Department, Sindh IGP, and other authorities and sought replies from them on 13 May.
The Sindh government on April had announced to ban all the religious gatherings amid the holy month of Ramazan including Yaum-e-Ali and Mehfil-e-Shabeenas.
The provincial Home Department had issued a notification in this regard, which stated that all religious gatherings which are not ‘farz’ shall not be held.
According to the notification, “All religious activities during the holy month of Raman with the gathering of people like Majalis & Jaloos for Shadat-e-Imam Ali (AS), Religious Rallies/Gatherings & Mehfil-e-Shabeenas shall not be held.”
The decision had been taken by the provincial government in order to encourage social distancing to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
