Roads and streets gave a deserted look as a complete lockdown was observed in Sindh on Friday afternoon as the government banned big weekly gatherings at mosques.

In Karachi, police had erected barricades on all the roads to stop the traffic as only three to five people were allowed to offer the Friday prayers at mosques.

Although there were calls for prayers [Azan] from every mosque, these were followed by the instructions to remain indoors and offer Zohr prayers at homes.

Similar scenes were witnessed in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and other cities and towns of the province, as the police and army personnel patrolled the streets. In fact, even the rural areas experienced the effects of this government order.

Earlier in the day, the Sindh Home Department, in connection with the government, announcement issued a notification which said that there would be a complete lockdown from 12pm to 3pm in the entire province.

It read there would be a complete ban on religious, political and public gatherings, including the Friday prayers. As a result, only three to five persons associated with the respective mosques administration could be able to offer the weekly prayers at mosques.

Meanwhile, the citizens were to offer the prayers at their homes, as the move is aimed at stopping them from coming out for the Friday prayers in an effort to curb the coronavirus spread.

The notification made it clear that neither any vehicle would be allowed to run on roads nor could any shop be opened during these hours to ensure a complete ban on the movement of people.

Strict action would be taken against those violating the complete lockdown, it added.

On the other hand, Lahore too witnessed a complete lockdown despite the fact that the Punjab government had not made any special announcement.

The move came as it decided to strictly implement the decision to limit the Friday prayers at mosques to three to five people.

As various circles have been critical of the decision to ban or restrict the Friday prayers, Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz on Thursday urged the people to offer Zuhr prayers at their homes instead of the weekly Friday gatherings at mosques.

Addressing a press conference after a CII meeting, Qibla Ayaz stressed the need for adopting precautionary measures but advised against spreading fear.

Earlier, a CII meeting was held with Qibla Ayaz in the chair. The members attending the special session via video link discussed different issues including the Friday prayers, daily prayers at mosques and the burial of the coronavirus victims.

The purpose of the meeting was to formulate a joint stance on various issues generated by the pandemic.