President Alvi urges media to highlight social distancing at mosques

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has urged the electronic and print media to highlight the social distancing phenomenon at mosques as agreed between the government and the religious scholars.

In a tweet, the president said the worshipers should also be educated so that they themselves ensure social distancing for their own protection and that of others, adding that we must increase our sense of ownership in our country.

“My appeal to TV & print media to please highlight the masjid social distancing phenomenon, and educate the namazis so that they themselves ensure it for their own protection and that of others. We must increase our sense of ownership in our country,” he said in a statement on the social media site.

He also shared the image of the prayer congregation at a mosque in Karachi with people maintaining distance and a media report depicting Mosques being disinfected, carpets removed and floors marked to make the people stand at a prescribed distance during the prayer.

President Arif Alvi on Saturday announced that mosques will remain open for Tarawih prayers in Ramazan and urged citizens and religious leaders alike to exercise discipline and take precautions against the coronavirus pandemic

While presiding over a meeting with religious scholars, the president also appealed to the masses to donate generously during the coming month of Ramazan since many madressahs, mosques and welfare organisations look forward to these funds for covering their routine expenses.

The president maintained that the people of Pakistan wanted to see their political and religious leaders on the same page and any conflict in this regard would be counterproductive.

He said they have sought proposals from the provincial governments to incorporate their point of view, adding that Interior Minister Ijaz Shah is in touch with the provincial governments in this regard.

The president said he was hopeful that all preventive measures will be taken to curb the spread of coronavirus during Ramazan. He asked religious leaders across the country to ensure that there was space between people when they congregated inside mosques for prayers.