Religious leaders evolve consensus on uniform prayer timings in Islamabad

Traders and representatives of chambers of commerce also present during meeting of religious leaders

ISLAMABAD: Religious leaders decided in a meeting on Wednesday to follow uniform prayer timings in the federal capital and to call the Azaan simultaneously.

Consensus behind uniform prayer timings was reached in a meeting held by Minister of Religious Affairs Sardar Yousuf along with members from Shia, Barelvi, Deobandi and Ahle Hadith sects.

Traders and representatives of chambers of commerce were also invited to the meeting as the religious affairs ministry wanted to discuss the proposal of closing commercial centers during prayer.

The religious affairs ministry had prepared a calendar of prayer times for the entire year and has handed it over to 10-member Salat committee for consideration.

It will take another month for the decision behind uniform prayer timings to be fully implemented.

On March 26, the government informed the National Assembly that it was consulting religious scholars from all sects to introduce uniform prayer timings in the federal capital.

Read: Uniform prayer timings in capital under consideration, govt tells NA

“We are making efforts to introduce uniform timings for Azaan (call for prayer) in Islamabad and a decision is likely to come through in a week, over which the nation would be happy,” Minister of State for Religious Affairs Pir Aminul Hasnat said.

Responding to a question, Hasnat said a meeting in this regard had taken place on Wednesday with scholars from all the sects and an agreement was reached over timings of four prayers.