BADIN: Police restricted 77 Tableeghi Jamaat members, among them several foreigners and people from other parts of the country, to stay at the mosques which had been declared quarantine centres.

SSP Hassan Sardar Niazi said that 77 people had been quarantined at seven mosques and further action was going on.

On Wednesday, 12 members of the Jamaat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 11 from Punjab were quarantined in Ilyas Masjid and Maulvi Chawra madressah respectively. Another 12 faithful from Mohmand had been kept at a mosque in Chak No. 1 village in Shaheed Fazil Rahu.

Meanwhile, three groups of 33 jamaat members from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were quarantined in mosques in Tando Bago and Shaheed Fazil Rahu talukas. Nine people from Mardan, Bajaur, Kohat and other areas were kept at Aqsa Masjid in Matli taluka.

The SSP said that out of 237 members of the jamaat 160, including five foreigners from Indonesia and Malaysia, had left the district. They had been reportedly stopped at Khairpur by authorities, he said.

DADU: Police quarantined 113 members of the jamaat in mosques in Dadu, Fareedabad, Khairpur Nathan Shah and Johi towns.

SSP Dr Farrukh Raza Malik said that heavy contingent of police were deployed outside mosques and jamaat members had been stopped from leaving the premises.

Locals residents of Dadu have complained that still screening test for confirmation of coronavirus was not conducted related with quarantined jamaat members in mosques in the district.

Civil society leaders demanded that Sindh government immediately conduct tests of jamaat people quarantined in mosques to avert spread of coronavirus.

Deputy Commissioner Raja Shahzaman Khuhro said that district health officer was directed to conduct tests of quarantined members. He along with police, assistant commissioners of Dadu, Johi, Mehar and Khairpur Nathan Shah were monitoring the situation and security arrangements at the mosques.

DHO Dr Zahid Hussain Dawachh said that rapid response teams of health department were sent towards mosques for collecting samples of jamaat members for tests. Fourteen members of jamaat were quarantined at Z.A. Bhutto boys hostel in Sindh University, Jamshoro, said Sindh University Vice Chancellor Dr Fateh Mohammad Burfat.

The VC said that all employees and their families were safe at the campus and residential colonies. As soon as the lockdown was lifted and public transport opened, the quarantined people would be sent back to their native towns, he said.

Jamshoro Deputy Commissioner Fareed Mustafa said that the quarantined people were safe and protected. The individuals at the hostels were safe and sound and their tests for Covid-19 had been conducted. “These people are completely healthy as of today and will leave for their hometowns after 14 days,” he claimed.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2020