COVID-19 pandemicGovt issues guidelines over namaz, safety

The government on Monday issued some guidelines over various issues, including offering namaz and maintaining people’s safety at mosques during the lockdown.

The Religious Affairs Ministry issued the guidelines as below:

--Make arrangements for washing and sanitising hands at the mosque gate. Everyone must have to enter mosque wearing masks.

--Come to mosque after performing wudu and Sunnat namaz at home. Hands must be washed with soap for 20 seconds.

--The mosques must be sanitised five times daily before namaz and the floor mats or carpets can't be used. People should bring their own prayer mat (Jaynamaj) with them to the mosque.

--Social distancing should be maintained in the prayer line.

--Children, elderly people, sick and those attended sick patients should refrain from going to mosques.

--None can use the prayer mat or topi (cap used by Muslims during prayer) of the mosque.

--Sahri or iftar can't be arranged at mosque.

--All the imams, khatibs, muazzins and mosque committees have been asked to implement the guidelines.

The ministry in the relese also said that legal action will be taken for violating the rules.

The seven-day lockdown began on Monday across the country to halt the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.