PESHAWAR: Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest Muslim festival was celebrated with religious zeal and fervour, sweet meals and savouries but under a coronavirus lockdown with strict restrictions in place.
Special monitoring team of district administrations had ensured strict implementation of Covid-19 restrictions in the province.
Routes leading to tourists’ sites, including Swat and other up hills areas were completely blocked whereas entry and exit from one district to other were strictly banned.
Stringent security measures were taken to avert any untoward incident on the Eid festival.
People, especially children and women have viewed that the Eid festivity has been dampened owing to imposition of strict coronavirus lockdown in the province.
However, some people have appreciated that the government measures to contain further spread of the deadly virus.
It is reported that the Covid-19 positivity rate had decreased due to compliance with SOPs during the Eid holidays owing to commendable job of the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC), the police and other institutions in this regard.
Recreational parks, tourist places and other special hitchhiking sites remained closed during the three day of Eid-ul-Fitr. Similarly, it was witnessed that all major roads remained deserted owing to the strict lockdown in most districts of KP.
On a rare occasion, Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated on the same day across the country. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, special care was taken to make sure Eid congregations held in open places across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while following strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure social distancing.
Security was beefed up in different parts of the KP province, including in the provincial capital Peshawar to avoid any untoward incident on an auspicious occasion.
The day began with Eid prayers being offered at mosques and Eidgahs in all cities and towns of the country.
Special prayers were offered for the well-being of the country while in sermons the Ulema highlighted the significance of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Special prayers were also offered for Muslims in Palestine and Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) where people are subjected to oppression and brutality.
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan, Provincial Ministers Shaukat Yousafzai, Iqbal Wazir, IGP Dr Sanaullah Abbasi, and other government officials offered Eid prayers at governor House Peshawar on Thursday.
In view of the Corona epidemic, the Chief Minister and other participants didn’t hug or shake hands with each other. The MPAs and MNAs offered Eid prayers in their respective areas.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021