'Smart' Ramazan lockdown

President Arif Alvi seems to have hammered out the most workable solution possible with religious scholars, given the circumstances, for holding congregational and Taraveeh prayers during Ramazan. A lot of people have been wondering about the necessity of keeping mosques open in Pakistan when such relaxations are not being extended in a number of Muslim countries, especially in the Gulf region. Indeed, the holiest Muslim sites in Makkah and Medina also remain closed for public, even for Ramazan, and people are being advised to conduct all their religious activities in their homes till the threat of the coronavirus passes. But then it must also be appreciated that a curfew-like lockdown is in place in Gulf countries; with Saudi Arabia and the UAE employing the strictest measures. Nobody there is allowed to step outside. And even when people must leave their homes for essential items like groceries, they must register online and explain where and when they are going and for how long. Everything is strictly monitored, of course. The situation in Pakistan, on the other hand, is vastly different. The lockdown was far milder than other places, especially Gulf countries, to begin with. And when it was relaxed, just a few days before the president's agreement with the ulema on Saturday, it was done in a rather haphazard manner in much of the country except for Sindh. Suddenly, everybody from fruit sellers to barbers and tailors - even enterprises where close proximity with clients is required - was open for business again. The exercise was carried out quite clearly without enforcing any sort of conditions. And there wasn't much official monitoring to speak of, as visuals that appeared in the media showed very clearly. Surprisingly, there wasn't even much effort to make people maintain minimum distance at shops and public places.

It was only natural for the ulema to ask, then, that why could mosques not open if everything else could? Especially in religiously sensitive times like the holy month of Ramazan. And if the 20-point action plan, which was decided upon jointly by the government and religious scholars, is followed in letter and spirit the mosques could well set the right example for public gatherings in such delicate times. It is now up to the administrations of mosques and people who visit there to display the responsibility needed to adhere to all guidelines. Only time will tell if these measures are enough, of course, and the government has correctly reserved the right to revise certain points of the agreement if things begin to go off course. Extreme vigilance will no doubt be required because, according to the prime minister's own projections, the number of Covid-19 cases is likely to increase across the country. And since it's not only the mosques that are reopening, but also targeted sectors of the economy, the difficult but necessary decisions being taken these days will also contribute in some manner to that increase. The right way to proceed, as aptly summed up by Prime Minister's Special Advisor on National Security Dr Moeed Yusuf, is to enforce 'smart' lockdowns.

Perhaps this is a good time for other provinces as well as the centre to take a leaf out of Sindh's book, which is approaching the matter of relaxing the lockdown more systematically than others. After consulting with all stakeholders, the Sindh government has decided to divide businesses into categories and sub-categories, with each sector under every category allowed two eight-hour workdays every week, as long as they follow all established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). And maintaining necessary distance between people at all public places will be an essential requirement. The provincial government has also made it very clear that anybody violating the rules will be dealt with very quickly, and a few outlets that stepped over the line have been duly sealed. This method of rotation will allow both a greater number of industries to function and more people to work and earn than any other arrangement. It will be very important to ensure that all sectors observe their respective timetables and nobody is allowed to go out on their off days. This is precisely the way to enforce 'smart' lockdowns. The federal as well as other provincial governments should also look into the pros and cons of this staggered approach to reopening. And if they find any merit in it, which they most likely will when compared to their own policies, surely it wouldn't be a bad idea to adopt a good strategy.