LAHORE: State Minister for Narcotics Control and SAFRON Shehryar Afridi on Wednesday said that Tableeghi Jamaat has suspended all preaching activities to strengthen the government’s efforts in containing the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
Talking to the media after a meeting with the Tableeghi Jamaat’s leadership at the Press Information Department’s (PID) regional office, he said that most of the Tableeghi Jamaat’s preachers, including foreigners, had returned to their home after their screening tests were conducted by the districts governments, adding that the government had extended full support to ensure good health and safety of all those involved in preaching.
As the convenor of National Assembly’s (NA) Sub-Committee on Tableeghis and Zaireen, Afridi held a meeting with the council members from Raiwind and brought them round to suspend all activities in the larger national interest.
Responding to a question, he said that all government departments were working in unison to bring back home 2,200 Pakistani preachers from 35 countries of the world, adding that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also paved the way for the safe return to 600 Pakistani prisoners from other countries. He said that efforts were also being made to facilitate safe return of 40,000 Pakistani labourers from abroad.
The state minister said that the government was taking good care of all preachers who had tested positive for coronavirus, adding that all suspected coronavirus patients would be allowed to go home after the result of their screening tests come out.
“The state is like a mother and all are equal in its eye and it is facilitating all Pakistani preachers, home or abroad, to return to their homes,” he said, adding that all pilgrims from Iran and Syria have been brought back to the country.
On the suspension of congregational prayers at mosques, the state minister said that the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, would take decisions in consultation with religious scholars from all schools of thought, adding that the opposition parties would also be consulted in the matter of resuming congregational prayers at mosques during the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking on the occasion, Tableeghi Jamaat Shura Chairman Dr Nadeem thanked the government for its support to safeguard the health of preachers in all parts of the world, adding that the minister of state had worked round the clock to take care of the preachers in all parts of the country.
Dr Nadeem said that the council had taken the decision in the national interest and most of the preachers had returned to their homes by now after their screening tests reports were negative, adding that all government agencies had extended their fullest cooperation with the preachers and given them medical facilities and travel services.
Responding to a question, he said that 237 preachers from Afghanistan returned to their country on Tuesday after they were screened for coronavirus.
