PESHAWAR, Aug 5: The chairman of the Tanfeez-i-Nizamul Salat Committee, Qari Roohullah Madani, has announced that the system relating to Namaz timings will be enforced in the district from Friday.

First it would take effect in Peshawar and then gradually in other parts of the province, f he said while speaking at a press conference here on Thursday. Mr Madani said that a meeting on July 29, 2004, presided over by NWFP Religious Affairs Minister Hafiz Akhtar Ali, had worked out a plan to implement the system.

The meeting had decided that Azan and Namaz timings in all mosques of the districts would be 1pm and 1:30pm respectively, he informed. It also decided that all shops and offices in the district would remain closed from 1pm to 2pm for Juma.

The decision, he said, had been taken after thorough deliberations and meetings with people from different walks of life and various organizations. Even the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industries had assured the provincial government that it would observe complete closure if Juma prayer's timings were specified, he said.

All minister of the NWFP cabinet including the chief minister would offer Juma in various big mosques of the city and also speak on the occasion, he said. About the security problem, he said two mosques in the district would be specified for policemen to offer prayer before or after the official Salat timings.

This arrangement would help address the security issue, he added. The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal was not implementing the system by force but with a popular consensus, he concluded. District MMA chief Hakim Abdul Wahid and other leaders were present on the occasion. -PPI