PESHAWAR: Eid-ul-Azha was celebrated with religious fervor across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday to commemorate the great sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim and Hazrat Ismail (AS).

In Peshawar, the main Eid congregations were held at Eidgah Charsadda Road, Mohabat Khan Mosque, Sonheri Mosque and Zarghoni Mosque in Hayatabad where people sought mercy and forgiveness.

Tight security arrangements were made outside different mosques where police personnel conducted body search to avoid any untoward incident. The day dawned with special prayers in mosques for the well-being of the Ummah and progress, prosperity and security of the country.

Ulema delivered special sermons highlighting the significance of the day and the philosophy of the supreme sacrifice. People prayed for the independence of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK) and eternal peace for the victims of COVID-19.

On the other hand, the tradition of having two Eids in the country could not be avoided this year too as Eid-ul-Azha was celebrated in Charsaddah, Khyber, Mohmand, Orakzai, Bajaur and Waziristan on Friday.

Eid prayers were also offered in Afghan refugee camps in the surroundings of Peshawar. The KP chief minister celebrated Eid-ul-Azha with simplicity in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The faithful followed the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for containing COVID-19 while performing the ritual of sacrificing animals.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020