People throng Jummatul Wida congregations

Islamabad: The people swarmed mosques and imambargahs in the capital city on Friday afternoon to offer the prayer of ‘Jummatul Wida’, the sacred last Friday of the fasting month of Ramazan.

Some places of worship were so overcrowded that their administrations laid prayer mats outside the premises to manage the huge influx of worshipers.

The largest ‘Jummatul Wida’ congregation was seen at Faisal Masjid, where ministers, parliamentarians, envoys of Islamic countries and other VIPs along with a large number of people from within Islamabad and Rawalpindi and adjoining areas showed up.

A good turnout of the faithful, including children and women, was also reported at Lal Masjid, G-6/4 Markazi Imambargah, and Golra Sharif and Barri Imam shrines.

The clerics delivered sermons highlighting the importance of Ramazan and ‘Jummatul Wida’ before leading the prayer. After prayer, the worshipers prayed to the Almighty Allah for themselves, the welfare of Muslims, and peace and development of the country. Special prayers were also offered for the liberation of occupied lands of Kashmir and Palestine.

Tight security checks by the police and mosque administrations were in place inside and outside mosques and ‘imambargahs’. The visitors were body-searched or made to use walkthrough gates before being given access to the premises, while barricades were placed on the roads leading to major places of worship in the city.

The police and private guards were deployed outside the mosques and rooftops to check the movement of suspected people. The police and Rangers personnel patrolled the city before and during the ‘Jummatul Wida’ prayer.