The Ministry of Religious Affairs is wooing all the Muslim sects across the country to adopt Islamabad model of Nizam-e-Salat that will unify all Pakistani Muslims.
"Las year, federal government had introduced Nizam-e-Salat under which prayers are held on same timings in Islamabad. 80 percent implementation has been ensured by all sects, so far" said federal minister for religious affairs Sardar Mohammad Yousuf during his visit to Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Sunday.
He said that the move was aimed at enhancing sectarian harmony and sense of unity among the Muslims in the country.
He said that the government wanted to introduce unified Salat and Azan system in all the four provinces alongside Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). He said efforts were being made together with the concerned stakeholders, in this regard.
"I have held several meetings, and sent letters to the chief ministers of all four provinces including the Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. They have welcomed our move and have given positive response," he said urging the religious scholars to shoulder responsibility to bring people closer to each other, ideologically. He called upon clerics to inculcate the tolerance and patience among masses according to the fundamental teachings of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad PBUH.
The minister said that the Ministry of religious affairs was setting up a recycling plant in the federal capital to dispose of holy scripts and old pages of the Holy Quran. The ministry has already obtained relevant fatwa from the Ulema. He also underscored the need of similar plants in rest of the country including Karachi to dispose of the sacred pages appropriately. He said the government was preparing a draft for recycling of old newspapers copies.
Sardar Yousuf said that since he took over the ministry, its affairs were being managed properly and the issues of pilgrims were resolved on priority basis. "Economised travel services and proper accommodation facilities are being provided to pilgrims during Hajj in Saudi Arabia," he said.
He congratulated the newly-elected KPC representatives. Secretary KPC Maqsood Ahmed Yusufi and member of governing body Saeed Sarbazi also spoke on the occasion. They requested the minister to facilitate journalists who desire to perform Hajj rituals.