Pakistan witnesses jump in COVID-19 deaths at 192 as it buckles on allowing Ramadan mosques prayers

As the number of coronavirus cases surged past 8,500 with the addition of 425 new cases and the toll hitting 192 with 24 deaths on Monday, diplomats visited the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) to observe the countrywide arrangements to control the deadly virus, Dawn News reported.

“During a briefing, we informed about our strategy, structure, etc. Diplo­mats asked a number of questions about the working of NCOC. They were also informed that the issue was taken up at the level of National Security Commit­tee and it was decided to establish a National Coordi­nation Committee to take prompt decisions to combat the virus,” Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Zafar Mirza was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

The Balochistan government on Tuesday extended the coronavirus lockdown in the province till May 5. A notification in this regard was also issued by the provincial authorities, reported Geo News.

The restrictions imposed on movement and gatherings of people across the province to contain the spread of the epidemic have been maintained, the notification states, reported the Pakistan-based news channel.

There have been reports of mismanagement and wrong implementation of policies by the Pakistani government that led to the spike in number of COVID-19 cases.

The Pakistan government seems to face a growing challenge in their act to contain COVID-19 as a section of the Islamic clerics have warned they will flout the government’s restrictions on group prayers especially during the holy month of Ramadan.

The warning is believed to be alarming for the country as it has witnessed a sharp rise in the number of Covonavirus cases over the past few weeks.

In their attempt to restrict the spread of the virus, the Pakistan government has restricted gatherings in mosques to five people or less in recent times.

While the regulations haven’t been strictly enforced, they have upset the religious establishment in the devoutly Muslim country, and on Tuesday, a group of 53 senior clerics announced that they would no longer observe the restrictions, declaring that they were not applicable to mosques, reports VICE.

Clerics have said closing mosques and stopping Friday prayers specially during Ramadan months remained unacceptable to countrymen.

“The closure of mosques, shutting down Friday prayers and Taraweeh [additional ritual prayers performed during Ramadan] is unacceptable to the countrymen,” said Pir Azizur Rehman Hazarvi, an Islamabad-based cleric affiliated with the Wafaqul Madaris al Arabia, a large federation of Islamic seminaries, according to VICE.

Stressing the need to attend mosques more, he said people need to apologise to the Almighty if they want to confront the COVID-19 outbreak.

Pakistan is still witnessing religious congregation even as it has been banned in other nations to avoid the spread of the lethal virus which is believed to have originated from Islamabad's all-weather ally China (Wuhan), media reports said.