HARIPUR, July 19: The district administration has decided to enforce the government's directives about observance of prayers in offices and bazaars from Tuesday asking the pesh imams of all religious sects to observe uniform timings of Azan and prayers.

This was decided in a meeting presided over by the District Coordination Officer Capt (retd) Jehan Zeb Khan. It was participated by District Police Officer Abdullah Khan, ulema belonging to different schools of thought, traders and journalists.

The meeting witnessed a traditional difference of opinion between ulema belonging to different schools of thought who insisted on accepting their individual viewpoints on matters, including uniformity in the timing of Azan, especially Zohar and Asr prayers.

Consensus was reached after a long discussion on one of the most controversial issue of offering Zohar prayer and calling Azan simultaneously. Maulana Qazi Ghulam Mujtaba appreciated the NWFP government for implementing Nizam-i-Salat in the Frontier province and called for the enforcement of Shariat.

He called for constituting salat committees in different wards to encourage the people for prayers, adding that force should not be used in this regard. Pir Alam Zeb Shah agreed that there should be uniformity in the timing of Azan and prayers and said that police should forcibly close shops and at the time of Friday congregation.

Maulana Qazi Mujtaba, Maulana Ibrahim Zaheer, Maulana Wahid Qamar, Syed Lal Hussain Shah also stressed the need for enforcing the Nizam-i-Salat in letter and spirit. Representative of the traders' community, Raja Ehtesham, offered support to ulema and the district administration in this regard but called upon ulema to fix uniform prayer and Azan timings for all five prayers if possible or at least the Zohar, Asr and Maghrib prayers.

Initially, ulema differed and failed to evolve a consensus on the exact timings for Azans and prayers but they finally agreed to observe Azan timing for Zohar prayers between 1pm and 1:15pm while Zohar prayers to be held between 1:15pm and 1:30pm.

All business centres would remain closed and heads of government departments would ensure maximum participation in the collective prayer. The DCO, Haripur, announced that he would, if necessary, ensure implementation of the Nizam-i-Salat forcibly in government offices.

He also informed the meeting that the civic agencies like the Works and Services department and town municipal administrations had been directed not to approve plans for buildings which lacked space for mosques. He said that ulema would again be invited soon to evolve a consensus on uniform timings for Azan and prayers.