Pakistanis on Wednesday celebrated second Eid-ul-Azha under coronavirus restrictions.
The religious festival has come at a time when a steady rise in COVID-19 cases has been witnessed and the fear of the fourth wave due to Delta variant looms.
Owing to the fear of the spread of coronavirus, the government has urged the nation to scale back on gatherings.
Seemed undeterred, people celebrated the occasion with traditional zeal and fervour, filling up the mosques without following government-mandated SOPs.
People should maintain social distancing during Eid prayers, avoid hugging and extend only greetings. The government has made special security arrangements to ensure peaceful observance of the three-day festivity across the country.
PRESIDENT, PM MESSAGES: President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan, in their messages, felicitated the nation and the Muslim Ummah on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.
The president stressed the people to extend all possible help and support to the poor and the needy on the auspicious occasion of religious festival.
He said the day rekindled the lessons of supreme sacrifices and obedience of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and Hazrat Ismail (AS).
“The day reminded us that Allah had tested his pious people through different ordeals and it was a lesson for us to remain prepared and determined for any test in life,” he said.
“Giving sacrifices to achieve an objective is the key to success,” he added.
The president said the world was still under the shadow of coronavirus, which had badly affected humanity across the world. Even the big and powerful governments had failed to provide relief to their people, he said.
He appealed to the nation to strictly observe coronavirus SOPs, including wearing of masks, hand washing and social distancing, so that they could succeed in overcoming the global challenge.
The president said the world was still under the shadow of coronavirus, which had severely affected humanity across the world. “Even the big and powerful governments had failed to provide relief to their people.”
He appealed to the nation to strictly observe coronavirus SOPs in a bid to successfully get rid of the pandemic.
Prime Minister Imran said that a nation could not develop without the spirit of sacrifice.
The prime minister said sacrificing an animal on this holy festival manifested that a person has to sacrifice human desires for the achievement of the highest ideals.
Such a passion generated a quality in humans that would not let them side-track from the right path, he observed.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid, and Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar also wished the nation on the occasion.
