Role of Ulema imperative for creating harmony, awareness for countering challenges posed by coronavirus: NA Speaker

ISLAMABAD, Apr 8 (APP):National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has stressed upon the religious scholar and Ulema to play their role in creating harmony and awareness among their followers for countering the challenges posed by the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
The Speaker said that unity amongst all the religious sects was imperative in the current situation. He reiterated his stance that spread of coronavirus pandemic should not be attributed to particular religious sect or group of people.
He said this in a tele-video meeting held in Parliament House with Shia Ulema and scholars in Parliament House, to discuss the repatriation of Zayreen, said a press release issued on Wednesday.
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noor ul Haq Qadri, Minister of State for SAFRON Sheryar Afridi and Religious Scholar Khanum Tayyiba Bokhari attended the meeting, while Religious Scholar Allama Shenshah Naqvi joined the meeting through tele-video link. The representatives of Ministries of Health, Interior, Foreign Affairs and Aviation Division were present during the meeting.
The Speaker said that the world was facing immense challenges due to spread of coronavirus and Pakistan was not an exception.
He said that the virus had badly affected the health and livelihoods of people of Pakistan besides, inflicting losses to the economy. He said that we have to face that challenge courageously and collectively and the support of Ulema and religious scholars was imperative in that regard.
He said that Ulema and scholars should advise the masses to adopt precautionary measures so that they were safe from that virus. He said that social distancing, staying at home, avoid public gatherings and adoption of other measures advised by the M/o Health should be followed to keep them safe.
The Speaker said that 15 Shabaan has religious significance for all sects of Islam, but due to the present threat, people should stay at home, pray to the Almighty for the well being of humanity and their fellow citizens and progress and prosperity of the country.
Speaker Asad Qaiser further said that the government was cognizant of the problems being faced by zayreen stranded in Iran and Iraq and measures were being adopted to bring them back home safely.
He assured that Parliament was alive and mindful of its responsibilities towards the people, therefore, a Committee had been constituted under Sheryar Afridi, Minister of State for SAFRON to get in touch with representatives of Tableeghi Jamaat and Ahle Tashi to listen to their issues, access the number of stranded people in different countries and make arrangements to bring them back home safely.
He asked the Ahle Tashi Ulema to give details of Zareen stranded abroad to the Committee for making appropriate arrangement for bringing them back and subsequent health related issues.
He asked them to apprise the Committee about any other issues regarding zareen who had been quarantined within the country.
Allama Shenshah Naqvi, thanked the Speaker for his initiative and informed that government functionaries had been very cooperative during this coronavirus issue.
He said that arrangements had been made for zayreen arriving through Taftaan Border. He suggested that arrangements may be made to transport zayreen tested negative to their native towns.
He agreed that the decision of the government to adopt precautionary measures and social distancing was in the best interest of the people.
He said that Ahle Tashi scholars had unanimously decided and advised their followers to offer prayers at home instead of Mosques, avoid religious congregations till the prevalence of coronavirus pandemic. Unity at this juncture was necessary to flight the pandemic, he added.
Khanum Tayibba Bokhari, agreed with Allama Naqvi adding that unity amongst all religious sects was need of the hour. She said that Ulema should advise their followers through media to avoid social gatherings and stay at home as Quranic scriptures and Hadiths had relaxed religious congregations in pandemics and catastrophes.
Pir Noor ul Haq Qadri, Minister for Religious Affairs appreciated the initiative of the Speaker and said that creating harmony amongst all religious sects was essential to combat this pandemic.
He suggested that offices of provincial Speakers may be mobilized to gather support of religious scholar to tackle the challenge.
He thanked the scholars for their earlier support regarding fatwa on offering prayers at home instead of mosques during the current situation.
Minister for State for SAFRON, Sheryar Afridi assured that government would make all necessary arrangements for safe transportation of all stranded Pakistanis back to Pakistan once data was available.
He also suggested that M/o Foreign Affairs should work out details of jailed Pakistanis through its missions abroad and make arrangements for their repatriation.
He assured the Speaker that his Committee was working hard with solution oriented approach and will present its recommendation on task assigned to it shortly.