ISLAMABAD: Muslims in Pakistan are celebrating a rather muted Eid on Sunday -- an event traditionally celebrated with congregational mosque prayers, family feasts, and buying new clothes and gifts for loved ones -- dampened this year amid spiking coronavirus infections and partial lockdowns.
While lax restrictions saw many throng the markets for pre-festival shopping, the government has urged the citizens to stay indoors, closing parks and public places for the masses.
Marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the Eid is being observed across the country on the same day, which is not a usual sight in the South Asian nation.
In a message to the nation, Prime Minister Imran Khan said, "Everyone must remember to observe the SOPs in place for COVID19. The disease is with us & social distancing must be strictly observed throughout the Eid holidays, including during Eid prayers."
I want our nation to observe this Eid in a different manner from the usual celebratory style. First, let us think of & pray for all those families who have been deprived of their loved ones by the plane crash tragedy & all those who have lost their lives to COVID19.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 23, 2020
He urged the people to observe this Eid "in a different manner from the usual celebratory style."
"First, let us think of & pray for all those families who have been deprived of their loved ones by the plane crash tragedy & all those who have lost their lives to COVID19," the premier said in a twitter post late Saturday.
Eid in Pakistan began with early morning prayers at open-air enclosures and mosques across the country, including the grand Faisal Mosque of the capital Islamabad.
The prime minister will spend his day in Nathia Gali situated in Pakistan's picturesque hill station of Murree according to local media.
Pakistan currently grapples with a hiking virus tally which surpassed 52,000 mark with 1,100 reported deaths by Sunday morning.
Doctors have repeatedly urged the government to implement safety measures to combat virus spread and have warned that the number of COVID-19 cases can significantly rise in the coming weeks.