PM cautions mosques against violating SOPs.

Byline: Syed Irfan Raza

ISLAMABAD -- As congregational prayers/Taraweeh commence in hundreds of thousands of mosques across the country on Friday (today), Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned ulema and khateebs to adhere to the already agreed 20-point standard operating procedures (SOPs) to avoid the spread of coronavirus, otherwise strict action will be taken against mosques' managements.

He reiterated this in the second Ehsaas Cash Programme Telethon held on Thursday to fetch donations for the PM's Corona Relief Fund. Pledges of Rs550 million were made by philanthropists and institutions, taking the total fund to over Rs2.676 billion.

The prime minister said that the track and trace system of the ISI was being used to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

'ISI has given us the track and trace system, which was being used against terrorism. [It] is now being utilised against [the spread of the] coronavirus,' he added.

Mr Khan said under this system coronavirus patients could be tracked through computer.

Earlier, Prime Minister Khan along with Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa visited the Inter-Services Intelligence headquarters where ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed briefed them on internal and external challenges, including the impact of Covid-19.

When asked by media persons at the telethon why the government had allowed holding of congregational prayers in mosques despite reservations expressed by doctors, the prime minister said the permission was given keeping in view the psyche of people who rushed to the mosques during the holy month of Ramazan for prayers and Taraweeh. 'I know my nation. I knew people had to come out [to pray] during Ramazan,' he said, adding: 'We knew that people will definitely go to the mosques even after the government stops them by force. We did not want to send police to the mosques to impose ban on congregational prayers and for arrests.'

The prime minister said the doctors across the country were justified in demanding a strict and complete lockdown because they were on the frontlines of the battle against coronavirus.

He, however, warned that action would be taken against the managements of mosques in case of violation of the 20-point SOPs agreed upon by ulema of different schools of thought after a meeting. 'We will close those mosques where violation of SOPs will be committed,' the prime minister said, adding that now it was a responsibility of ulema to implement the SOPs.

The SOPs state that...