Eid during pandemic.

Byline: Ashfaque Ahmed Bhand - Pir Jo Goth

MANY people fear that the mass movement of people accompanying the religious festival could worsen the spread of Covid-19 throughout the Muslim world.

Eidul Fitr is a festival when families and communities come together to celebrate in mosques and visit each other's homes. In these unprecedented circumstances, it is imperative that public health is put first.

In keeping with the government's advice, we should celebrate Eid holidays in our homes and avoid gathering in congregations at mosques or open spaces to offer Eid prayers.

The standard operating procedures are quite different in the whole Muslim world regarding the Eid festival. Saudi Arabia will enforce a countrywide curfew during the five days of Eid owing to coronavirus.

Similarly, Indonesia had banned the exodus of people to their hometowns ahead of Ramazan and Eid as part of measures to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Pakistan, like many countries, has already been affected by the virus. As of May 23, more than 50,000 cases of Covid-19 infections have been confirmed, while over 1,000 deaths have been...