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Thousands of people gathered at mosques by defying lockdown warnings to offer Friday prayers across the country.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-April 17th, 2020) Amid lockdown due to Coronavirus pandemic, thousands of people gathered to offer Friday prayer in mosques across the country today.

The police and district administration failed to enforce Section 144 imposed earlier to control spread of Coronavirus in the country as thousands of people gathered in mosques to offer Namaz-i-Juma amid fears of the virus.

According to the reports, huge crowd of people were seen in all major mosques under control of private administration in the country. However, thin attendance was reported in mosques which were under the government control and provincial Auqaf departments.

There were conflicting views about the gathering of the people and offering prayer amid fears of Coronavirus as some criticized and many others appreciated it, saying that people should intend to Almighty Allah to seek his forgiveness instead of getting away and staying at homes.

There was comparatively very few people at Badshadhi mosque in Lahore and similarly Masjid Wazir Khan and Muslim Masjid in Lohari in provincial capital of Punjab. However, there was very big crowd there at the mosque of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Paksitan where Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi led Friday prayer. Similarly, the mosques located in small mohallas were also witnessed with huge number of people.

“Why should I fear when I believe that life and death is in the hands of God?,” said Awais Ali, a faithful in Bilal Gunj area. “I came to offer prayer and to seek forgiveness and blessings of Almighty Allah instead of staying at home at this testing time,” he said.

He also said that people must come to God and surrender themselves before HIM amid fears of this global pandemic.

The religious scholars preached the people that the pandemic would never do any wrong to them unless the will of God and urged them to offer prayers collectively at mosques.

“We will continue our prayers and other activities like aitekaaf during upcoming holy month of Ramazan and we don’t care of this virus,” said Maulana Tahir Raza, a prayer leader and religious scholar. He said they believed in treatment and care but it did not mean that they should abandon mosques.

A couple of days ago, Renowned religious scholar Mufti Muneeb ur Rehman categorically said that the prayers and aitekaaf would continue as per schedule during the upcoming holy month of Ramazan. He said the respected lockdowns but it did not mean that they should ignore mosques and should avoid offering prayers there due to Coronavirus.