In response to the appeal made by Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan, Ulema and Mashaikh from all the four provinces of Pakistan as well as Gilgit-Baltistan and liberated territory have expressed their determination to frustrate the sinister designs of the Indian rulers against the Muslims of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The ulema fully agreed that side by side with educating and guiding the people about curbing novel coronavirus in the light of Quran and Sunnah, they and their followers will also pray for the safety of Kashmiri Muslims and early success of Kashmir’s liberation from tyrant India.
Addressing through video link a consultative meeting of Ulema and Mashaikh convened by President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi to adopt a strategy for congregational prayers and Namaz-e-Taraweeh during the holy month of Ramazan, the AJK president said that he and the state Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan have already held several consultative meetings with the ulema since the outbreak of a pandemic, and scholars of all schools of thought have unanimously pledged to cooperate with the efforts of the government to contain infectious diseases.
From Azad Kashmir, the video conference was attended besides President Sardar Masood Khan, by Chief Secretary Mathar Niaz Rana, Member of state Council of Islamic Ideology Mufti Kifayat Hussain Naqvi, Maulana Mufti Ibrahim Aziz, Allama Hameeduddin Barkati, Maulana Danyal Shahab Asri and Secretary religious affairs Sardar Javed Ayub. They explain their viewpoint about Ramadan, collective five times prayers, Traveeh and Juma congregations in the wake of coronavirus.
Sardar Masood Khan and other officials and Ulema from Azad Kashmir told the participants of the video conference that complete religious harmony exists among ulema of all schools of thought in the liberated territory, and they are not only fully cooperating with the state government in responding to the pandemic but they are also playing a leading role to prevent the spread of the virus in the light of Islamic teachings.
Besides creating awareness among the people about the significance of cleanliness and purity, they are motivating the masses to support the poor and vulnerable communities through Zakat, Sadqat and donations.
The AJK president said that the state ulema were fully determined to follow all guidelines of the health ministry regarding prayers in the mosques and to avoid any act which may pose dangers to human lives.
The ulema are also playing their role to remove fear, frustration and depression developed among the people about coronavirus.
Sardar Masood Khan particularly stressed that now when the people of entire world including Pakistan and Azad Kashmir were fighting coronavirus, the people in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir are not being provided health facilities to save them from the pandemic. He also quoted data of COVID-19 patients in the liberated territory, and the efforts being made by the state government to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
Chief Secretary Mathar Niaz Rana, Mufti Kafayat Hussain Naqvi, Mufti Mohammad Ibrahim Aziz and Danyal Shahab said that the ulema and religious figures of Azad Kashmir would follow in letter and spirit whatever decision is made by the government, Ulema and Mushaikh in Pakistan. The state government in consultation with the ulema is playing its role to prevent the pandemic.
Allama Hameeduddin Barkati, in his address proposed that president and the prime minister of Pakistan, and governors and chief ministers of all the four provinces should visit holy Ka’aba and Roza-e-Rasool (Peace be upon him), and pray there for the safety of the world from the pandemic.
