GUJRANWALA: Four prayer leaders were arrested by law enforcement agencies and police on violation of Friday prayers code at Gakhar Mandi.

The Punjab government had directed all the mosques to be locked for Juma prayer and general prayers for five times except only for five people, including the caller for prayer (muezzin) and prayer leader (imam), who would be allowed to perform prayers. The law enforcement agencies and police checked the mosques and arrested four prayer leaders in the Gakhar Mandi area on violation of directions. Those arrested are Allama Muhammad Abbas Rizvi, the prayer leader of Jamia Masjid Noora, Qari Muhammad Sabir of Jamia Masjid Ghausia Rizvia in Mohalla Noorpura, Qari Muhammad Mazhar of Jamia Masjid Gulzar-i-Madina in Mohallah Karimabad and Qari Muhammad Usman of Jamia Mashid Kareemabad.

Cases have been registered against them while a prayer leader managed to escape.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2020