Crowds flock for Friday prayers despite Sindh lockdown

The Sindh government's move to ban congregational prayer could not be implemented fully on Friday as people flocked to various mosques in Karachi and other districts to attend the prayers.

According to The Express Tribune, the station house officer (SHO) of Kharadar was appealing to the people in New Memon Masjid to return home as the mosque was closed.

"The government has made the decision for your safety. When Holy Kaaba is closed and the Saudi government is planning to cancel Hajj, why are you insisting to come inside and offer prayers. The mosque committee has also agreed to close its doors to the public So, please go and pray at your home. This is my request," said the police official.

The crowd outside the mosque got emotional and started chanting slogans, compelling the police to re-open the mosque.

The same situation was witnessed in Defence View Phase-2, where the police, using loudspeakers, were requesting the people to go back to their homes, but all in vain.

The same situation prevailed in Hyderabad where people gathered to offer prayers despite mosques being closed.

Pakistan has reported 1,291 cases, of which 440 are in Sindh, 419 in Punjab, 180 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 132 in Balochistan, 93 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)/Gilgit-Baltistan and 27 in Islamabad.

Twenty-one patients have recovered and the total nationwide death toll stands at nine.