Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the IG of police to withdraw all the FIRs registered against the Imams of mosques and others for allegedly violating the code of conduct devised for Friday prayers.
"We, in consultation with leading Ulema from different schools of thought, had decided that due to the threat of the coronavirus, the Juma prayers would be held amongst the Imam of the mosque, the Moazin, the Khadim and two others, but unfortunately some people violated this code of conduct. As a result, the law took its course," he said.
Shah said that since the Ulema had raised the issue of registration of cases against them, therefore right now "I am directing the inspector-general of police to withdraw the FIRs registered against the Imams and other people all over Sindh with the request [to the Ulema] to keep their Juma congregation limited to five people as has been agreed earlier".
This he said while presiding over a meeting with the Ulema and religious scholars of different schools of thought here at the CM House.
The meeting was attended by provincial minister Syed Nasir Shah, adviser Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IGP Sindh Mushtaq Maher, ACS Home Usman Chachar, Prof. Dr Abdul Bari, Mufti Taqi Usmani, Mufti Imran Usmani, Mufti Zubair Usmani, Dr Adil, Maulana Imdadullah, Dr Saeed Sikandar, Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, Mufti Rehman Amjad, Mufti Abid Mubarak, Mufti Rafi-ur-Rehman, Allama Shahensha Hussain, Mufti Yousif Kashmiri, Maulana Abdul Waheed and Mufti Abdur Rehman.
At the outset the chief minister said that on February 26 the first case of coronavirus was detected in Sindh, and on the same day he held an emergency meeting and decided to close the schools.
He said that the situation continued to aggravate, and the government announced 15-day closure of government offices, closed restaurants and then shopping centers and finally decided to declare a complete lockdown because the number of cases was increasing.
"Today, we have 508, including 171 cases of local transmission. This is why I am requesting each and every person to maintain social distancing and avoid gatherings and congregations," he said.
The chief minister said that the decision to limit the congregation was taken after thorough discussion and debate with all the stakeholders. "The objective is to save our people from this disease and with the cooperation and support of the Ulema this has become possible," he said.
"Alhamdullillah, our mosques are open, five times Azan is given there, and Jamaat of limited people is also held there. This is what is required," he said and added that once the threat was over, everything would become normal.
The chief minister once again urged the Ulema to keep announcing from the mosques that the congregation would be limited and urge the people to offer prayers at their homes.
Shah said that had he not imposed the lockdown and taken extraordinary steps, the virus would have caused a heavy loss in the province.
"Yes, it has not been eliminated, but we have slowed down its spread and have contained it," he said.
The chief minister told the Ulema that the FIRs registered against them were being withdrawn, and sureties would be returned to the people who had already obtained bails from different courts.
The Ulema eulogized the efforts of the chief minister and assured him their full support in the war against the coronavirus.