According to the notification, the restrictions on religious gatherings, including Taraveeh, rallies and processions, that were announced on April 23 would remain intact. It added that the decision had been made in consultation with religious scholars.
The Express Tribune reported that despite the provincial government ban, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) has announced that they would go ahead with processions planned to commemorate Youm-e-Ali, which falls on Ramzan 21. “We will start the main procession from Numaish and it will culminate at Imambargah Hussainiya Iranian in Kharadar,” a MWM Sindh spokesperson told the newspaper.
He said that MWM would follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set out by the government, such as maintaining social distancing and wearing masks and gloves. “We will organise the event come what may.” He added that there was no such ban imposed in the other provinces, insisting that the Sindh government should not stop them.
“The arrangements have been finalised in Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. No other government has any objections to it. We fail to understand why the provincial government is putting restrictions on the processions,” he inquired.