Islamabad: All religious sects in the Pakistani capital will pray at the same time from May 1, 2015, and all mosques will make the call for prayers simultaneously.
The decision for unified prayer timings was made at a meeting of a committee comprising clerics from different sects. Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Mohammad Yousuf chaired the meeting.
The committee, which held the meeting on Wednesday, included two clerics from each of the four major sects in the capital — Barelvi, Deobandi, Shiite and Ahle Hadith.
A local newspaper quoted Mufti Jameel ur Rehman Farooqui, a member of the committee, as saying there was a difference of eight minutes between the call for prayer by Barelvis and Deobandis and Ahle Tashi (Shiite) at Maghrib.
“The Barelvis and Deobandis will delay the time by five minutes and Shiites will call the Azzan three minutes earlier to have one time for Maghrib,” he told ‘Dawn’ newspaper.
The religious affairs minister, quoted by the same newspaper, said the issue was being discussed for almost two months. “It is a major step in promoting sectarian harmony,” he added.
Under the system, the timing for the call to prayer will be decided according to seasonal changes and the Azzan calendar will be distributed by the government to all mosques, the minister said.
The decision was welcomed by traders and business community of the federal capital.
