Govt, religious scholars issue 20-point policy agenda regarding prayer congregations during Ramazan

• Both sides agreed to conditionally allow prayer congregations and Taraweeh during  Ramazan.
• Children and people above the age of 50 as well as those suffering from any disease including flu, fever and cough will not come to the mosques for prayers, the president said.

The government and religious scholars agreed on Saturday on a 20-point policy agenda regarding prayer congregations and Namaz-e-Taraweeh during Ramazan amid coronavirus crisis.

A meeting of religious scholars chaired by President Arif Alvi was held at the Presidential House earlier today. Both sides agreed to conditionally allow prayer congregations and Taraweeh during  Ramazan.

Following the meeting, President Alvi announced that mosques and imam bargahs across Pakistan have been allowed to hold prayers during Ramazan with special SOPs. He issued a 20-point notification that includes all the rules residents and mosque management are obliged to follow.

Listing down the 20-point strategy, the president said that no carpets will be laid in the mosques and imam bargahs, adding that people are encouraged to bring their own prayer mats. Prayers will be offered on the floor with a distance of six feet between the people offering prayers, while people are refrained from any sort of gathering after the prayers.

People are directed to wear masks at mosques and do ablution at home. "Mosque floors and prayer mats must be washed with chlorine disinfectants and chlorine mixture," the president added.

He further said children and people above the age of 50 as well as those suffering from any disease including flu, fever and cough will not come to the mosques for prayers.

For Taraweeh, it was decided that it will be offered within the premises of the mosques and not on the roads and foothpaths.

The president also said that government can change any part of its policy on mosques during Ramazan if it feels these measures are not being followed or if the number of coronavirus cases surge.