ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered the release of clerics and worshippers detained for violating government restrictions on congregational prayers at mosques, which have been imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.
In recent weeks, many worshippers defied the government rules, especially during Friday prayers.
The premier’s decision follows his meeting with religious scholars in Islamabad on Monday.
“It has been decided that mosques will remain open across the country while prayers will be offered following precautionary measures against the spread of coronavirus,” the PM’s special assistant on information and broadcasting, Firdous Ashiq Awan, told reporters.
According to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, the religious scholars who participated in the meeting expressed their full support for the measures and vowed adherence to the government’s guidelines on physical distancing while holding prayers.
“Clerics said that PM Khan’s policy regarding lockdown is based on ground realities and logical,” the statement read.
Despite lockdowns across the country, the government on April 18 agreed to leave mosques open during the fasting month of Ramadan, which is starting later this week.
In a Twitter post on Monday, the prime minister called on Pakistanis to stay at home to help stop the spread of the disease. “The more people show self-discipline, the easier it will be for us to manage the COVID19 plus ease the lockdown gradually,” he wrote.
Officially, there are more than 8,400 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country and 176 related deaths. Seventeen people succumbed to the disease on Monday alone — the highest one-day record since the beginning of the outbreak.
