OBAID ABBASI
The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has failed to implement uniform prayer timings in the federal capital, Pakistan Today has learnt.
On April 2015, the ministry had announced implementing uniform prayer timings, and the move was a first step towards promoting sectarian harmony and eradicating political differences among prayer leaders of the same sect.
Soon after the announcement, the minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf had prepared a calendar of prayer times for the whole year and handed it over to a 10-member Salat committee.
However, after the lapse of almost two years, the ministry has failed to implement the uniform prayer timings, which raised question marks over the performance of the minister.
It is noted that minister Sardar Yousaf had visited the capital’s mosque, persuading the clerics to implement uniform prayers timings. However, the uniform prayer timings in the city is still a ‘dream’.
The sources said that there was no awareness campaign initiated by the ministry as there are around 1,150 mosques and imambargahs functional in the capital.
According to the sources, the majority of the clerics seem either reluctant or they were not properly guided by the ministry. “This is a serious question over the performance of the minister who had claimed to implement it through letter and spirit,” remarked a ministry official, who requested anonymity.
Another senior official of the ministry, who is close to the development, said that ministry should have done proper homework before introducing uniform prayer timings.
When contacted, Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf claimed that the implementation process is moving at a “slow pace” and ministry will continue its efforts to implement it. The minister said that responsible officers will face the music who were supposed to create awareness among the public and clerics about the uniform prayer timings. “I will call a meeting now and review the progress regularly,” claimed the minister.