Entire country to have uniform policy for Ramazan: Religious affairs minister

Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri said on Monday that the entire country will have a uniform policy regarding the holy month of Ramzan this year, as coronavirus cases surged past 5,400 in Pakistan. 

The religious affairs minister was addressing a press conference where he said that Speaker of the National Assembly, Asad Qaiser, will approach all the religious parties on this issue.

He said that the parties will lay out a comprehensive strategy for the holy month in wake of the coronavirus pandemic which has impacted daily life and businesses ever since the first case was reported in Pakistan on February 26. 

He said that the government will approach Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, Siraj-ul-Haq, Sajid Mir, Sajid Naqvi and other religious leaders for policy-making consultations.

While referring to the untoward incidents regarding congregational prayers and violation of the ban due to the pandemic, the minister expressed displeasure by referring to them as 'unfortunate'.

Qadri said that the high number of cases led to an unnecessary debate on whether the Iran pilgrims or tableeghis were behind the spread of the coronavirus

He said that the debate subsided due to the efforts of the NA speaker.

Ramazan, the month when Muslims all around the world fast, is merely days away. Due to the pandemic and measures to curb its spread, strict lockdown measures are ordered by the government, both federal and provincial, until April 14. 

As of Monday, Pakistan has recorded more than 5,400 cases and 95 deaths due to the pandemic. The virus, ever since it was first report from a wet market in Wuhan, China, has spread to more than 200 countries around the world and infected more than 1.8 million people and caused more than 110,000 deaths worldwide.