Pakistani leaders urge caution as Eid starts with tighter virus curbs

ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan have urged Pakistanis to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr safely and maintain restrictions as Pakistan is facing a coronavirus third wave.
Both the president and PM spoke on Wednesday night as the whole country was waiting for the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, the country’s official moonsighting body, to announce last minute that Eid, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, would be observed on Thursday.
As he delivered his Eid greetings, Khan called on Pakistanis to exercise “extra caution and strictly abide by the anti-COVID precautions.”
“The precautions were also the injunctions of Islam as well as teachings of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH),” he said, as quoted by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
President Alvi said that as Pakistan had shown discipline during the first two waves of the pandemic, it should be able to contain the current one as well if health guidelines are followed.
“I hope that we can contain the massive spread of coronavirus, if we as a nation show discipline during the third wave,” he said, as quoted by APP.
He warned that traditional handshakes and embraces that come with family celebrations on Eid should be avoided “to avert massive outbreak of the pandemic.”
Earlier this month, Pakistan tightened curbs to stop the spread of COVID-19 during the Eid holiday.
Under “Stay Home Stay Safe Strategy,” authorities restricted public transportation to reduce mobility during the period in which a large number of people travel from one city to another to spend the time with their loved ones.
All markets, businesses, and shops remain closed except for those providing essential services.

Pakistani leaders urge caution as Eid starts with tighter virus curbs