Sindh Minister for Information, Local Government, Housing &Town Planning, Religious Affairs, Forest and Wildlife Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said that the issue of banning prayers in mosques and other places of worship in the time of pandemic was a very sensitive issue and the help and guidance of religious scholars was imperative in this regard. He said that when the first case of the Coronavirus emerged in the province, it was from that time that the Sindh Chief Minister on the directives of Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari started consultation with the Ulema , adding that, it was only after the cooperation of the clerics the people followed the health advisory of the government and worshiped at their homes rather than gathering in the mosques.
The minister said that the decision to ban Friday prayers was a difficult one and could not had been possible without the help of religious scholars. He said that like other sections of society, the clerics and religious scholars also fully cooperated with the Sindh government during the lock down.
The Minister said that whatever the decision was taken by the Sindh government the respected Ulema supported it completely. He said that the clerics also believed that the lives of the people were more important than the congregation prayers. Nasir Shah said he was confident that when once again the Ulema would be requested to review their decision and ask people to offer their prayers at home during the lock down in the holy month of Ramazan, they would cooperate.
The provincial Minister advised that the federal government and the provincial governments should own their decisions rather than confusing people.
