MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider on Wednesday urged religious scholars and prayer leaders to persuade people to offer daily and Friday prayers at homes in the interest of their safety, as nine more persons, including two health administrators, were confirmed for Covid-19.

“Today I’ve held a detailed meeting with theUlema representing different schools of thought and I’ve requested them that in the light of the teachings of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding the sanctity of human life, they should press the faithful into offering five daily and Friday prayers at their homes until the Covid-19 threat is over,” tweeted Mr Haider, through a picture message, after the meeting.

“In the briefest Friday congregations, the distance between the faithful from all four sides should not be less than a metre… The government will not pass any order demonstrating the slightest disregard to the rites of Allah but, in accordance with the practice of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), it will judiciously ensure to enforce every step that rids us of this problem and trial,” he added.

Sources told Dawn that some of the Ulema were of the view that the process of ablutions was prevention in itself to the virus as it involved washing hands, and rinsing the mouth and nasal cavity. They also maintained at the meeting that there was no concept of prayers while the shoulders and ankles of the believers were not in line with each other.

However, the prime minister reminded them the gravity of the threat had compelled the entire Muslim world to issue this advice to the faithful.

“Even Makkah and Madina have been shut for the very reason,” he said.

According to an official handout, Mr Haider also sought help of religious scholars for awareness among the people about the significance of precautionary measures against the coronavirus.

The prime minister’s advice came as nine more people tested positive for Covid-19 over the past 24 hours – six of them in district Bhimber and three in Mirpur – increasing the tally to 28.

Those in Bhimber included District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Iqbal Hussain Chaudhry and Waqas Nasr, an assistant director in EPI, and a clerk of DHO office.

The remaining three were a police constable in Samahni and two locals who had recently visited Lahore and Gujrat.

In Mirpur, all three fresh patients were linked to a diaspora funded charity, whose chairman had tested positive a few days ago, setting alarm bells ringing in the lakeside city.

In a tweet, PM Haider paid tributes to the DHO and his team for their contribution in the worse affected Bhimber district.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2020