ISLAMABAD/LAHORE/KARACHI: The last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, Jumatul Wida, is being observed across the country today with traditional religious zeal and reverence. Millions of faithful gathered at mosques and open spaces to offer congregational prayers, seeking divine blessings and the acceptance of their month-long fasts.
The day holds immense spiritual significance as it marks the impending departure of the sacred month. This year, the observance fell on the 30th of Ramadan following the sighting of the moon earlier in the week, shifting the anticipated schedule and allowing the faithful an additional day of worship.
The largest congregations are set to be witnessed at the iconic Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, the historic Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, and the Jamia Masjid Memon in Karachi. Similar grand gatherings are taking place in Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, and other major urban centres.
Devotees are reported to have started thronging mosques early in the day, many completing their final recitations of the Holy Quran and engaging in special *dhikr* (remembrance). In their Friday sermons (*khutbas*), imams and religious scholars highlighted the importance of the month of fasting, the virtue of charity (*Sadaqah-tul-Fitr*), and the necessity of maintaining the spirit of piety beyond Ramadan.
Special prayers are to be offered for the progress, stability, and prosperity of Pakistan. The khateebs also made impassioned *duas* for the unity of the Muslim Ummah and the liberation of oppressed people in Palestine and Kashmir.
Stringent security measures were implemented across the country to ensure the safety of the massive crowds. While no specific new national alert was issued for the shifted date, law enforcement agencies—including the Police and Pakistan Rangers—maintained a high state of vigilance based on pre-established security protocols for the holy month.
To ensure the safety of the faithful, extra personnel were stationed at the entrances of major mosques and sensitive areas, complemented by the use of metal detectors, CCTV monitoring, and quick-response teams on standby for any exigencies. These measures followed comprehensive security reviews conducted by provincial governments earlier this month—particularly in Sindh—which involved the deployment of thousands of officers for high-profile religious events, including Youm-i-Ali and Jumatul Wida.
In major cities, traffic police implemented special routing plans to manage the influx of vehicles near prominent places of worship. Several roads leading to central mosques remained temporarily closed or diverted to facilitate the movement of pedestrians.
