11 July 2004	Sunday	22 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, July 10: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim said on Saturday that the ban imposed on the use of loudspeakers was not only applicable to mosques but also to variety programmes.

Arbab Ghulam Rahim was talking to a delegation of religious scholars at the Chief Minister's House. He urged the religious scholars to avoid giving religious colour to a social problem.

"We took the decision of imposing ban on using loudspeakers outside the four walls in view of problems faced by the patients, disabled and other ailing persons. The ban was also applicable to using loudspeakers for variety programmes and any kind of recording and making speeches. The organizers of such programmes have to make arrangements in such a way that only the audience inside the four walls could listen to them," he said.

The chief minister categorically stated that there was no question of putting ban on Azaan and Juma sermons at the mosques and added, "Pakistan was an Islamic country and homeland of Muslims where nobody can think of such ban."

He asked the religious scholars earnestly to cooperate with the government for enforcing the ban as it would be a service to humanity as per religious teachings. -PPI