The world’s second largest Muslim preaching congregation started amid tight security at Barikot on Wednesday. Thousands of people from across the country and abroad are gathering in Swat to attend the preaching congregation. Large tracts of have been prepared for the three-day Tablighi Ijtima at GT Road Barikot, some 21 kilometres away from Mingora city. According to the Tablighi Ijtima elders, the number of attendees had exceeded the organisers’ expectations. Senior religious scholars and Ulema are also participating in the Muslim preaching congregation which will end with an exceptionally long prayer offered on Friday, 27th April.
It is worth mentioning here that this is first preaching congregation to be held in Swat after peace was restored to the region following a successful military operation in 2009. According to the PSMA General Sectary, all private schools will remain closed on 27th April on account of the Tablighi Ijtima. A large number of policemen and plain clothes officers have been deployed at the venue. The traffic police have setup a control room as well as a police camp under the supervision of a DSP at the site of the congregation.