KP govt issues guidelines for Eid prayers

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government Wednesday issued instructions to implement the NCOC guidelines for safe management of Eidul Fitr prayers.

The instructions were issued at a meeting was chaired by Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dr. Kazim Niaz, said a handout. The divisional commissioners, regional police officers and eminent religious scholars of various schools of thought attended the meeting.

The chief secretary directed the divisional commissioners to ensure Eid prayers in open spaces with strict implementation of corona protocols.

He said that where it was not possible in the open spaces, Eid prayers should be offered with SOPs by keeping the doors and windows open in the mosques.

In order to provide maximum number of worshipers with the opportunity to perform prayers, he stated that preferably 2-3 Eid prayers should be organised at one single venue with staggered timings. The chief secretary asked the Ulema to keep the Eid sermons/khutbas short so that the people remain present in prayer venues for brief duration of time.

He said that those who come for Eid prayers must use sanitizers and wear face masks. “No one should be allowed to offer Eid prayers without a mask,” he stressed.

He directed district administrations to ensure social distancing protocols, prominent marking (6 feet apart) be ensured to allow sufficient space/ distance between individuals and urged Ulema to discourage elderly, sick and children under the age of 15 from attending prayers.

All mosques and Eid venues should have multiple entrance and exit points so as to minimise transmission of the disease, he added.

Dr Kazim Niaz directed Commissioners to arrange thermal scanning at entry points of prayer venues and symptomatic individuals should not be allowed to enter the venue.

He further directed availability sufficient quantity of masks and sanitizers at the entry points for Eid prayers.

Dr Kazim Niaz said that people should be encouraged to perform ablutions at home and bring own prayer mates with them.

To prevent the spread of the deadly virus, CS advised that people should refrain from shaking hands and embracing after Eid prayers.

He strictly directed that no gatherings be allowed before and after the prayers.

The Chief Secretary directed that the Commissioners and the district administrations should prominently display banners regarding Covid protocols at the places of Eid prayers as part of awareness campaign.

Speaking on the occasion, Maulana Syed Yousuf Shah, Convener of the Ulema Committee, said that the Ulema fully support all the corona guidelines of the government. He fully supported Eid prayers in open spaces.

Shaykh-ul-Hadeeth Maulana Ihsan-ul-Haq urged the people to follow SOPs. He said that it is Sunnah to offer Eid prayers in open space. It is also Sunnah to change the route when going to and coming back from Eid prayers.