KP govt restricts congregational prayers by more than 5 people in mosques

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government issued directives on Tuesday according to which only five or less persons will be allowed to offer congregational prayers inside mosques across the province.

A notification issued by the KP government's Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department said that an Emergency and Section 144 had already been imposed in the province to ensure social distancing.

"Only five or less people designated for Masjid (Muazzin, Pesh Imam, Speaker) shall offer prayers by Jamaat and that the general public will offer their prayers at their respective homes and that this order shall be effective immediately and shall apply to all congregations, till further orders," read the notification.

 

The directives come after the Sindh government banned congregational prayers in mosques by more than five people last week and urged masses to pray at their homes.

Pakistani Ulema have appealed to the masses to offer prayers at home in the wake of the pandemic, which has killed more than 20 people in Pakistan and infected more than 1,800 persons.

Calls for social distancing have increased after the pandemic killed more than 35,000 people worldwide and infected more than 750,000. Governments around the world are scrambling to control the virus as economies and industries bear the brunt of the coronavirus.