Islamabad - The inhabitants of federal capital for the first time will fast and break it at the same time in the upcoming month of Ramazan if uniform prayer timings are implemented in all the mosques.
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf remarked this while addressing a press conference regarding the Nizam Salat Convention to be held in Islamabad.
Failing to ensure the implementation of Nizam Salat, according to which Azaan and prayers would be held at the same time across the capital, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has convened an Ulema Convention on May 26 for creating awareness and evolving consensus for full implementation of the system.
The convention would be attended by parliamentarians, lawyer forums, Ulema, prayer leaders of over 957 mosques of federal capital, representatives of employees unions and trader associations. The Ulema from adjacent Rawalpindi would also be invited to attend the convention. The trader associations of 92 markets of Islamabad have assured to attend the convention.
Consensus over the uniform prayer timings was reached among the Ulema from Shia, Barelvi, Deobandi and Ahle Hadith sects on April 16. In this regard, the Religious Affairs Ministry had prepared a calendar of prayer times for the entire year and handed it over to the mosque Imams.
The system of uniform prayer timings was formally implemented in Islamabad on May 1 with Imaam-e-Kaba leading Friday prayers in the Faisal Mosque.
Though, implementation of the calendar of uniform timings is voluntary, only 30 per cent mosques have been following it and even mosque situated near the office of the ministry in Melody is following the old timings.
Some Ulema have boycotted the Salat Committee on calling religious seminaries as ‘centres of ignorance and illiteracy’ by Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed in a statement. The boycott by some Ulema has also thwarted the implementation. Despite the minister has clarified his stance, saying he referred to those seminaries, which spread hate and terror, the religious leaders continued their boycott.  
Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf when asked about the statement that raised a furor among the religious circles, refused to comment saying, “the question should be asked from the concerned minister”. “Being an Islamic state, it is a responsibility of the government to implement the decision of Salat Committee and facilitate the public to offer prayers. The ministry wants to put in place such a system that people where can pray happily,” he added. “Due to fix timings people will be able to adjust their schedule according to prayer timings, besides it will convey the message of unity and harmony,” he added.
It is important to note that markets will be closed during the breaks of prayers and offices will also follow the prayer breaks.
The minister said the procedure would also be put into practice across the country after its successful implementation at the federal level. “I have already been getting a good response from Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Sialkot and other cities also want to follow a uniform system,” he added. Public and private channels have also been conveyed to broadcast Azan according the calendar.